Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch continues its dominant run at the box office, now achieving a new milestone by surpassing one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most acclaimed films. The family blockbuster has officially crossed $408.5 million at the domestic box office, pushing it past the $408.08 million lifetime domestic gross of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. This victory over a major MCU team-up film is just the latest accomplishment for the remake, which currently stands at $972.7 million globally and is steadily approaching the $1 billion mark. Its performance has already made it the highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year, overtaking A Minecraft Movie‘s 954.9 million, and has proven to be a much-needed critical and commercial juggernaut for the studio.
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Lilo & Stitch stormed out of the gate over Memorial Day weekend with a staggering $182.6 million four-day domestic debut and held the number one spot on the box office charts for three consecutive weeks. This sustained performance allowed it to steadily climb the charts, eclipsing other major releases. Internationally, the live-action remake has already surpassed the foreign box office totals of other significant MCU entries, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The consistent success of Lilo & Stitch has given Disney the confidence to move forward quickly with the franchise’s future. The studio has already officially announced that a sequel to the live-action remake is in development, looking to capitalize on the massive audience and goodwill the film has generated. Before the film’s release, Disney had a difficult run at the 2025 box office with several high-profile projects underperforming. Two of its Marvel Studios films, Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*, went down as box office disappointments. In addition, the studio also saw its new original Pixar film, Elio, post the lowest opening weekend in the animation studio’s storied history. Lilo & Stitch‘s overall performance stands as a monumental win for Disney, providing a clear and powerful roadmap for its adaptation strategy.
What Lilo & Stitch‘s Success Means for Disney’s Remake Strategy
Lilo & Stitch‘s victory arrives at a critical time for the studio, following a period of high-profile struggles for its other live-action adaptations. The prequel Mufasa: The Lion King had an underwhelming opening of just $35 million against a $200 million budget, and the costly remake of Snow White was a significant box office failure, earning only $205 million worldwide on a production budget estimated between $240 and $270 million. These recent disappointments created serious questions about the long-term viability of the entire initiative. Lilo & Stitch has answered those questions decisively, proving that massive commercial success is still achievable if the studio adheres to a specific formula. The key to its success appears to be its faithfulness to the beloved animated original, a lesson that is now causing a complete overhaul of the planned Hercules remake.
With producers Joe and Anthony Russo (Avengers: Endgame) and director Guy Ritchie (Aladdin) attached, the live-action Hercules would have reportedly axed the iconic musical numbers in favor of an action-heavy tone. However, the runaway success of Lilo & Stitch has convinced the studio to change course. Disney is now pushing for a faithful adaptation of the 1997 animated film, directly crediting the box office returns of its latest hit as the reason for the pivot.
Lilo & Stitch is currently available in theaters.
Do you think Disney is making the right call by overhauling Hercules to be a more faithful remake? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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Image Courtesy of Pixar -
Image Courtesy of Lucasfilm
