For Disney, live-action remakes are never a casual move. The company understands that turning animated classics into flesh is a reliable way to make money, but it also knows that audiences are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of fresh ideas. Even so, the studio decided to revisit “Lilo and Stitch,” and the result has been a major success.
According to data from The Numbers, the remake took just three days to surpass the box office total of the original 2002 hit. It has already become the sixth highest-grossing title of 2025 and is competing closely with Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” in every region.
Originally planned as a Disney+ release, the picture has shown that, despite some skepticism, spectators still prefer reimagined versions of stories they already know and love over unfamiliar, original ideas.
Stitch’s 2025 Comeback Is a Financial Hit
As of May 26, just three days after its global theatrical debut, the live-action “Lilo and Stitch” has already earned $341.7 million at the box office. According to Box Office Mojo, the 2002 animated original made $273.1 million—thanks not only to the film’s charm but also a clever marketing campaign that featured Stitch crashing trailers for Disney Renaissance classics like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” and “The Lion King.”
The 2025 reimagining expanded on that idea with an even bigger strategy. Stitch appeared in promotional material for upcoming blockbusters like “Moana 2” and “Mufasa: The Lion King,” and even hijacked a spot during Super Bowl LIX.
Later, Disney released parody posters featuring Stitch meddling with iconic elements from previous live-action remakes, including “Snow White,” “Cinderella,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin.” On April 3, during Disney’s CinemaCon panel, another poster dropped—this time showing Stitch causing chaos across major Disney-owned studios like Marvel, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios.
The hype translated into major sales. Fandango reported that “Lilo and Stitch” became the year’s best first-day ticket preseller for a PG-rated flick, beating “A Minecraft Movie,” “Snow White,” “Dog Man,” and “Paddington in Peru.”
Initially projected to make $165 million domestically over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, the production earned $55 million on its opening day alone (including $14.5 million from Thursday night previews). The verdict? Live-actions have become Hollywood’s new goldmine.