Hollywood Finally Has 2025’s First $1 Billion Box Office Hit
Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” has become the first American movie of 2025 to hit the $1 billion mark at the global box office. According to Disney, the film has earned $416.2 million in the United States and Canada, while the rest of the world brought in another $584.8 million. In Mexico alone, the movie made $67 million, becoming Disney’s top-grossing live-action film in that country.
Speaking about the movie’s success, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said in a statement, “We knew there was a lot of love for ‘Lilo & Stitch’ with audiences around the world, yet we never take that for granted. We’re proud of how this new film has connected with people.”
Disney also confirmed that a sequel is already in the works.
Released on May 23, the movie made a huge splash during its opening weekend, earning $183 million in North America. That was enough to beat “Top Gun: Maverick” and take the record for the biggest Memorial Day weekend debut.
The original animated “Lilo & Stitch,” which came out back in 2002, was only a modest hit, bringing in $273 million at the box office. But over time, Stitch has grown into one of Disney’s biggest franchises, sitting alongside names like Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, and Marvel.
According to Disney, Stitch-related merchandise generated around $2.6 billion in sales last year alone. Before the new movie was even released, the entire “Lilo & Stitch” franchise, including TV shows and spin-offs, had racked up over 500 million hours of watch time on Disney+, with the original film responsible for more than half of that.
Bergman had said earlier this year that Stitch’s popularity was one of the main reasons Disney decided to move forward with the live-action remake. In his words, “the popularity of the little blue alien definitely played a role.”
The success of “Lilo & Stitch” follows a wave of family movies dominating theaters this year. Warner Bros.’ “A Minecraft Movie,” which came out in April, has earned nearly $955 million globally. Around the same time, Universal’s new live-action “How to Train Your Dragon” also performed well, bringing in over $560 million worldwide.
Disney continues its billion-dollar streak with “Lilo & Stitch.” In 2024, the studio also crossed the same milestone with hits like Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Disney Animation’s “Moana 2,” and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine.”
However, the biggest movie of the year so far isn’t from Hollywood. That title belongs to “Ne Zha 2,” a Chinese animated movie that has made over $2 billion, mostly from audiences in China itself.
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