The live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” has taken the box office by storm, now standing as the highest-grossing film of 2025 globally. Recent figures from Deadline reveal that the film has amassed an impressive worldwide gross of 7.6 million, with an international take of 3.9 million. This achievement surpasses the previous records held by Warner Bros and Legendary’s “A Minecraft Movie,” which grossed 4.9 million worldwide and 0.9 million internationally. Notably, “A Minecraft Movie” retains the U.S. domestic box office record for 2025, with a gross of 3.9 million.
‘Lilo & Stitch’ Highest Grossing Movie of 2025
As it stands, “Lilo & Stitch” and “A Minecraft Movie” are the only two films to exceed 0 million in worldwide earnings this year. At its current trajectory, “Lilo & Stitch” is poised to become the first film to cross the billion-dollar mark in 2025.
Deadline’s analysis highlights that “Lilo & Stitch” is still in its sixth week of release, having debuted on May 23. The film’s strong performance contributed to making 2025 the most lucrative Memorial Day weekend in history for cinemas. Additionally, it achieved the second-largest opening for any four-day holiday weekend, following “Black Panther” during Presidents’ Day weekend in 2018.
The international reception has been equally robust, with “Lilo & Stitch” ranking among the top films in markets such as Brazil and Mexico, as well as throughout the Latin American region. This success has propelled Disney to the forefront of the domestic box office, amassing a total of .1 billion in 2025.
What makes the film’s success even more remarkable is the controversy surrounding its adaptation. The remake introduced several significant changes to the original animated narrative, including the omission of Captain Gantu, the reimagining of Pleakley’s character, and a surprising twist at the film’s conclusion where Nani relinquishes custody of Lilo to David and Tūtū to pursue marine biology studies at the University of California. Director Dean Fleischer Camp has addressed these changes, stating that Captain Gantu “just didn’t work so well in live action” and affirming his support for the decision to remove the character. He also explained the unexpected ending by noting, “People do get left behind.”
In light of the film’s overwhelming success, Disney has already announced plans for a live-action sequel, titled “Lilo & Stitch 2,” currently in development. The enthusiasm surrounding this film suggests that audiences are eager for more adventures in this beloved universe.
