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Memorial Day weekend 2025 sees a field workplace rematch between Lilo & Sew and Tom Cruise, and never solely is Disney’s live-action remake set to beat Mission: Unimaginable – The Ultimate Reckoning for the primary spot on the field workplace, however Experiment 626 may take one other field workplace file held by Tom Cruise. Initially set for launch on Disney+ in 2024, it was determined to bump Lilo & Sew to a theatrical launch, and Disney gave it the extremely coveted Memorial Day weekend slot. Within the 23 years for the reason that unique Lilo & Sew, the franchise and significantly the title character, have turn out to be one in every of Disney’s most beloved IPs, one that can repay huge time on the field workplace.

The Wall Avenue Journal notes that Lilo & Sew is projecting a $150 million opening over the four-day Memorial Day weekend. Selection notes it might go as much as $160 million or increased. At $150 million, it might simply land the second-biggest Memorial Day opening weekend in historical past. If it could actually get an additional $11 million, it’ll take the file for the largest Memorial Day weekend opening in field workplace historical past from Prime Gun: Maverick, which grossed $160 million in 2022. With all that, it’s no marvel that Disney is already contemplating a Lilo & Sew sequel. Disney Leisure Co-Chairman Alan Bergman informed the Wall Avenue Journal:

“It feels prefer it’s going to work very properly, and it’s the sort of property that lends itself to extra.”

Time to Meet the Different 625 Experiments

With a finances of $100 million, Lilo & Sew is trying to make again its finances in simply 4 days. That’s some huge cash that Disney virtually left on the desk after they initially deliberate for Lilo & Sew to be a straight-to-streaming title on Disney+. That is nice information for Disney, as will probably be a significant rebound from the field workplace disappointment of Snow White. Relying on how properly Lilo & Sew does in its three-day opening, it’d take A Minecraft Film‘s spot as the largest opening weekend of 2025. It is going to additionally imply that three of the highest ten greatest Memorial Day weekends belong to Disney, as The Little Mermaid presently sits on the quantity 5 spot with $118 million, whereas 2019’s Aladdin is in seventh place with $116 million.

Of all Disney’s live-action remakes, Lilo & Sew appears probably the most primed for a sequel. Apart from Winnie the Pooh, Lilo & Sew has probably the most expanded materials of any Disney animated traditional, with the direct-to-video sequel Sew! The Film and its spin-off sequence, Lilo & Sew: The Sequence. Each follow-ups increase the mythology to showcase Jumba’s different 625 experiments that preceded Sew. Characters like Experiment 624/Angel and Experiment 625/Reuben are fan-favorite, extremely merchandisable characters. Bringing in components from Lilo & Sew‘s prolonged universe into sequels seems like a successful formulation for a long-running franchise.

At the moment sitting at 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, Lilo & Sew’s response has been combined to constructive from critics. It is going to make some huge cash on the field workplace, however how will phrase of mouth maintain up? It’s the must-see household movie for 3 weeks till Prepare Your Dragon opens in theaters. With a summer season stuffed with huge franchises however no clear frontrunner, there’s a good likelihood Lilo & Sew is likely to be the largest film of the summer season in 2025 and the beginning of a brand new live-action Disney franchise.

Supply: The Wall Avenue Journal / Selection