ZAMM.COM

Hollywood should re-crown Memorial Day weekend as the summer’s official start now that it’s pumped a record setting estimated $322M into the recovering domestic boxoffice.

Between them, Disney/Rideback’s LILO & STITCH & Paramount/Skydance Media’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING did about $260M for four days. It’s the biggest Memorial Day domestic boxoffice ever — and it’s certainly delivering more punch than Marvel’s 5/2 “summer start” did with THUNDERBOLTS* opening to $74.3M.

LILO, which opened #1 to an estimated $180M at 4,410 theatres for four days, is a live-action remake of Disney’s 2002 animated comedy adventure classic LILO & STITCH. 3 Days: $145.5M ($32,993). With $158.7M from international theatres, its worldwide cume is already $341.7M. BUDGET BUZZ: A modest $100M to produce. The first LILO did $273.1M worldwide on a budget of $80M.

LILO 2 was to have been a Disney+ streaming movie, but Disney changed course when it realized it could be a theatrical blockbuster. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (FRAUD), the PG action adventure comedy’s tracking best for first choice with women under 25 (28 points above norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics are blah at 69%, but paying audiences are cheering at 94%.

MISSION — with Tom Cruise back as Ethan Hunt for the franchise’s eighth and, apparently, final episode — kicked off #2, setting a new franchise record with an estimated $77M for four days at 3,857 theatres. 3 Days: $63M ($16,334). BUDGET BUZZ: A dazzling $400M to produce.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie (TOP GUN: MAVERICK), the PG-13 action thriller’s tracking best for first choice with men over 25 (13 points above norm). Rotten Tomatoes critics are happy at 80%, but audiences are delighted at 90%.

Domestic ticket sales this weekend were $261.7M for three days, according to Comscore Senior Media Analyst Paul Dergarabedian. That’s up 142.4% from the prior weekend and up 157% vs. this time last year. Comscore’s year to date tally has 2025 at $3.07B, up 21.36% from $2.53B in 2024. The prior weekend showed 2025 up by 15.2% vs. last year.

Meanwhile, back at the multiplexes: Warner Bros./New Line Cinema’s FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, was #3 in weekend two with $24.5M for four days at 3,523 theatres. 3 Days: $19.7M (-62%) ($5,578). FINAL’s done $94.6M domestic through Monday and $187.1M worldwide through Sunday. BUDGET BUZZ: $50M to produce.

Next weekend (5/30): Sony/Jerry Weintraub Productions’ PG-13 family action drama KARATE KID: LEGENDS, the weekend’s only major studio opening, will go into about 3,500 theatres. Directed by Jonathan Entwistle (first theatrical feature), it’s tracking best for first choice with men under 25 (four points above norm).