‘Lilo & Stitch’ Live-Action Remake Joins Billion-Dollar Club as 2025’s First Global Box Office Champion
‘Lilo & Stitch’ Becomes 2025’s First Film to Cross $1 Billion at the Global Box Office
Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has officially passed the $1 billion mark worldwide, making it 2025’s first film to reach the milestone and solidifying its place as the year’s highest-grossing Western release, both globally and internationally.As of Wednesday, the film has earned $416.2 million domestically and $584.8 million overseas, pushing its worldwide total to $1.001 billion, according to Disney’s announcement on Thursday.
A Global Hit Fueled by Nostalgia and New Audiences
Since its record-breaking debut over Memorial Day weekend, Lilo & Stitch has exceeded industry expectations at every turn. The film’s strong performance has been driven by family audiences and Gen Z viewers who grew up with the original 2002 animated classic. Its four-day domestic opening of $183 million set a new Memorial Day weekend record, helping to power one of the biggest holiday box office weekends in history.Alan Bergman, Disney Entertainment co-chairman, praised the film’s connection with audiences: “We knew there was a lot of love for Lilo & Stitch with audiences around the world, yet we never take that for granted. I’m thankful to our filmmakers, our cast, and all on our Studio team who have made this film such a success, and we look forward to more adventures with these characters ahead.”
Disney’s Winning Streak Continues
With Lilo & Stitch joining the billion-dollar club, Disney has now released four billion-dollar films in the past 13 months. The studio’s current streak also includes Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine ($1.328B), Pixar’s Inside Out 2 ($1.698B), and the upcoming Moana sequel. These results reaffirm Disney’s continued box office dominance across multiple genres and franchises.Competition from China and Minecraft
While Lilo & Stitch leads the 2025 global box office for Western releases, China’s Ne Zha 2 remains the overall top-grossing film of the year with $1.899 billion, the majority of which—$1.832 billion—comes from domestic Chinese ticket sales. In North America, however, Warner Bros.’ Minecraft: The Movie currently edges out Lilo with $423+ million in domestic revenue, though it fell just shy of the billion-dollar global benchmark at $955.1 million.A Cultural Touchstone Reimagined
Produced by Rideback, the new Lilo & Stitch pays tribute to the original’s heartwarming themes of family, identity, and belonging, while reintroducing the beloved characters to a new generation. Its billion-dollar success signals the continued power of nostalgic storytelling when paired with modern, inclusive filmmaking.As Disney celebrates this major milestone, fans can expect that Stitch and Lilo’s story isn’t over just yet. With future projects potentially on the horizon, the live-action remake has firmly secured its place in the pantheon of Disney’s biggest cinematic hits.
