Hollywood Reigns: Memorial Day Delivers Biggest Box Office in History
While a politically charged edition of the Cannes Film Festival comes to a close, Hollywood celebrates box office success, CE Report quotes ANSA.
This Memorial Day weekend is the richest ever for the North American box office: between Thursday and Monday, total earnings are expected to hit $322 million, surpassing the 2013 record set when Fast & Furious 6 hit theaters.
Leading the charge, 12 years and a pandemic later, is Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch, which is expected to surpass $180 million by tomorrow evening.
Backing up this success is the eighth installment of the Ethan Hunt saga, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which brought in $77 million over four days, marking the highest opening in the franchise’s history.
Traditionally seen as the start of the summer movie season in the U.S. and Canada, Memorial Day weekend is a key indicator of industry mood and forecasts. This year proves how strategic it is to launch two major blockbusters targeting different demographics: Lilo & Stitch drew 62% female audiences, while Tom Cruise attracted 63% male viewers.
In third place is the slasher-comedy sequel Final Destination: Bloodlines, which debuted last weekend and grossed $24 million over the holiday, for a total of $94 million in North America and $180 million worldwide.
Marvel’s Thunderbolts is still holding strong after four weeks, adding $12 million over the weekend and crossing $170 million domestically. However, due to high production costs, breaking even remains a challenge.
Rounding out the chart is the 2025 box office phenomenon: vampire thriller The Sinners, rated R and produced by Warner Bros., which earned another $11 million, pushing its U.S. total to around $260 million, and $339 million globally.
