Memorial Day Weekend: The Big Movie Showdown

The Memorial Day weekend box office was a huge success with two major films leading the charge. "Lilo & Stitch" and "Mission: Impossible" dominated the weekend, bringing in massive amounts of money. "Lilo & Stitch" took the top spot with $183 million in the U. S. and Canada alone. This live-action remake of the beloved animated film outperformed "Top Gun: Maverick, " which had previously held the record for the biggest Memorial Day weekend opener. "Mission: Impossible" wasn't far behind, earning $77 million domestically. Both films also performed well internationally, with "Lilo & Stitch" bringing in $341. 7 million globally and "Mission: Impossible" reaching $190 million worldwide. The success of these two films is a significant boost for theater owners who have been struggling since the pandemic. The box office revenue for the weekend is projected to reach $325 million, making it the biggest Memorial Day weekend ever. This is a positive sign for the industry, which has been facing challenges due to the pandemic and the dual writers' and actors' strikes in 2023. The holiday has historically been one of the biggest moviegoing weekends of the year, serving as a springboard for the busy summer months. However, the pandemic and the strikes have made it a less reliable indicator of the theatrical business. The strong showing on Memorial Day weekend adds to a solid spring at the box office. Films like "A Minecraft Movie" and "Sinners" have kept up steady business at theaters. This spring has been so good for the box office, it usually means the summer is going to be strong. Last year, the holiday weekend grossed just $132 million, making it the worst Memorial Day weekend box office in nearly 30 years. Films like "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" and "The Garfield Movie" brought in about $30 million each that weekend, a distinct difference from the mega-hauls that blockbusters traditionally gross during Memorial Day weekend. The success of "Lilo & Stitch" and "Mission: Impossible" is a testament to the power of good content. When the content is good, people show up. The content cycle is favorable right now, and hopefully we'll see that continue through the next two years. Analysts say the 2025 domestic box office could gross an estimated $9. 2 billion to $9. 5 billion, which would be an improvement on last year's $8. 7 billion. However, those numbers still pale in comparison with pre-pandemic box office totals, including $11. 4 billion in 2019 and $11. 9 billion in 2018. The Memorial Day weekend box office was a huge success with two major films leading the charge. "Lilo & Stitch" and "Mission: Impossible" dominated the weekend, bringing in massive amounts of money. This is a positive sign for the industry, which has been facing challenges due to the pandemic and the dual writers' and actors' strikes in 2023. The success of these two films is a testament to the power of good content. When the content is good, people show up. The content cycle is favorable right now, and hopefully we'll see that continue through the next two years.