“Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning” continue to dominate North American box offices following a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend. Theaters in the U.S. and Canada welcomed new releases including Sony’s family-friendly “Karate Kid: Legends” and the A24 horror film “Bring Her Back,” contributing to a robust \$145 million post-holiday weekend—an increase of over 115 percent compared to last year.
Disney’s live-action hybrid “Lilo & Stitch” secured first place with \$63 million from 4,410 locations, becoming the second-highest grossing film of the year domestically with \$280.1 million, and a global total of \$610.8 million. Meanwhile, “Sinners” remains strong in its seventh weekend, earning \$5.2 million, bringing its domestic total to \$267.1 million and \$350.1 million worldwide.
The eighth installment of “Mission: Impossible” maintained second place with \$27.3 million from 3,861 locations, down 57% from its opening. It has sold \$122.6 million domestically, aligning with previous films, but with a \$400 million production budget, profitability remains distant. The film earned an additional \$76.1 million internationally, including \$25.2 million from its recent opening in China, totaling \$353.8 million globally.
Sony’s “Karate Kid: Legends” led new releases with \$21 million from 3,809 locations. Starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, the film received a strong A- CinemaScore and 4.5 stars on PostTrak despite mixed reviews, benefiting from a modest \$45 million budget and no immediate family film competition.
“Final Destination: Bloodlines” earned \$10.8 million in its third weekend, making it the highest-grossing film in the franchise globally with \$229.3 million. The horror film “Bring Her Back” debuted with \$7.1 million from 2,449 screens, starring Sally Hawkins and earning a rare B+ CinemaScore. It is the only new horror release until “28 Years Later” launches in June.
Wes Anderson’s “The Phoenician Scheme” premiered in New York and Los Angeles with \$270,000 and will expand nationwide next weekend.
The summer box office outlook remains positive, with May projected to close at \$973 million, up 75 percent from May 2024, though reaching the \$4 billion pre-pandemic benchmark remains a challenge, surpassed only by the recent “Barbenheimer” summer.
Swifteradio.com
