Hollywood’s summer season continues to heat up, with Disney’s Lilo & Stitch and Paramount’s Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning topping the box office again after a historic Memorial Day weekend.
Post-Holiday Bounce
North American theaters raked in an estimated $149 million over the post-holiday weekend — more than double the same period last year. The surge was powered by returning hits and new entries like Sony’s Karate Kid: Legends and A24’s horror flick Bring Her Back.
Top Performers
- Lilo & Stitch (Disney)
- Weekend Gross: $63 million
- Domestic Total: $280.1 million
- Global Total: $610.8 million
- The live-action/animation hybrid retained the top spot and surpassed Sinners to become the year’s second-highest domestic earner.
- Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning (Paramount)
- Weekend Gross: $27.3 million
- Domestic Total: $122.6 million
- Global Total: $353.8 million
- With $76.1 million added from international markets — including a $25.2 million debut in China — the film is holding steady despite its massive $400 million budget.
- Karate Kid: Legends (Sony)
- Opening Weekend: $21 million
- Global Total: $47 million
- Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio unite to train a new prodigy, drawing solid reviews and strong audience scores (A- CinemaScore). With a modest $45 million budget, it’s off to a promising start.
- Final Destination: Bloodlines (Warner Bros.)
- Weekend Gross: $10.8 million
- Global Total: $229.3 million
- The horror sequel is now the franchise’s biggest hit (not adjusted for inflation).
- Bring Her Back (A24)
- Opening Weekend: $7.1 million
- Directed by the Philippou brothers (Talk to Me), this psychological horror entry received a rare B+ CinemaScore and may enjoy a strong hold with no major horror competition until 28 Years Later on June 20.
Art House Debut
Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme opened in limited release in New York and L.A., collecting $270,000. It’s slated for a nationwide rollout next weekend.
Looking Ahead
With May expected to close out around $973 million in domestic box office — up 75% from last year — industry analysts see signs of a major rebound. Still, the summer season will need a string of strong performances to hit the $4 billion benchmark last reached during 2023’s “Barbenheimer” phenomenon.
