The extended Memorial Day weekend in the US saw the release of two big films. Tom Cruise returned as Ethan Hunt (possibly one last time) in Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning, while Disney set the screens on fire with the live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch. While collectively, the two films set a new box office record for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, it was Disney that won the battle, leaving MI 8 in the dust. (Also read: Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning earns $24 million, scores biggest opening day for franchise)
Mission Impossible 8 box office collection
Paramount pulled out all the stops to promote the new Mission Impossible with premieres in Seoul, Tokyo, Cannes, London and New York. Cruise also visited moviegoers at screenings in Texas. The opening ticket sales set a record for the franchise, which has generated more than $4 billion at the global box office since the first film was released in 1996.
Figures released by Box Office Mojo revealed that Mission Impossible 8 earned $77 million domestically in its four-day opening weekend, and $204 million worldwide. This is a new opening weekend record for the Tom Cruise-led franchise. Given that the film will be releasing in China next, it augurs well for the film.
Lilo & Stitch box office collection
But it was Lilo & Stitch that won the weekend. The live-action remake of the 2002 animated film about a Hawaiian girl and her dog-like extraterrestrial pet named Stitch, who’s equally mischievous and adorable, claimed the No. 1 spot with $145.5 million in ticket sales. Box Office Mojo puts its worldwide four-day earnings at a staggering $341 million, far eclipsing Mission Impossible 8.
How Lilo & Stitch outdid the Tom Cruise juggernaut
{{/usCountry}}But it was Lilo & Stitch that won the weekend. The live-action remake of the 2002 animated film about a Hawaiian girl and her dog-like extraterrestrial pet named Stitch, who’s equally mischievous and adorable, claimed the No. 1 spot with $145.5 million in ticket sales. Box Office Mojo puts its worldwide four-day earnings at a staggering $341 million, far eclipsing Mission Impossible 8.
How Lilo & Stitch outdid the Tom Cruise juggernaut
{{/usCountry}}The Stitch franchise has become a Disney juggernaut in recent years. Some $2.6 billion worth of retail products associated with Lilo & Stitch were sold in the company’s last fiscal year, Disney said, up from $200 million just five years ago. It’s now among the company’s top-ten best-selling properties and has spurred broad online fandom.
Lilo & Stitch has a commercial advantage over most films because it has a short run time of 90 minutes. Running an hour less than the Cruise picture means theatre operators can show it more times.
(With Bloomberg inputs)