Lilo & Stitch Dominates Box Office, Leaving Karate Kid: Legends in the Dust!

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The initial battle for the top summer movie spot appears to have concluded prematurely. The upcoming release, poised to dominate box office charts, is the revival of the Karate Kid franchise, “Cobra Kai,” which has leveraged its Netflix success. However, it seems that Disney’s mischievous blue spherical creature from Encanto has delivered a decisive blow to its chances of securing the number one position.

As a die-hard cinema enthusiast, I must confess that the upcoming release of “Karate Kid: Legends” has left me somewhat divided. The immense acclaim garnered by its predecessor, “Cobra Kai,” seems to have set rather high expectations for this film, which may be why it’s currently sitting at a 59% Tomatometer score, barely missing the “fresh” rating. Predictions suggest that it will earn approximately $30 million domestically, but considering its budget of $45 million, this opening is far from matching the success of 2010’s “The Karate Kid.

In the blue corner, the movie “Lilo & Stitch” is impressively holding its own against the competition, showing that some Disney live-action remakes can captivate their audience. With a popular cultural icon like “Stitch” as one of the main characters, it’s no wonder that the film is doing well financially. As it enters its second weekend, predictions suggest that “Lilo & Stitch” will earn approximately $60 million. This figure is twice as much as “Karate Kid: Legends” and far exceeds the opening weekends of many movies released this year.

‘Lilo & Stitch’ Continues to Be Disney’s Dark Horse

When Disney unveiled their newest batch of live-action adaptations, featuring Snow White among others, the prospect of a Lilo & Stitch remake didn’t generate the most enthusiastic response initially. Initial glimpses from image releases drew the customary blend of acclaim and criticism on social media, but it was the trailers that truly seemed to ignite interest in the film.

In contrast to the recurring debates surrounding the casting of Rachel Zegler in Snow White, which was embroiled in various controversies, the selection of Gal Gadot during the Israel-Gaza conflict tension, the controversial use of CGI dwarfs (or even their inclusion)… and so on, Lilo & Stitch quietly generated excitement with a series of entertaining and chaotic marketing strategies, all revolving around its central blue alien character.

In the past few years, it’s been hard to avoid the charming smile of the mischievous alien everywhere you look, making it no surprise that Lilo & Stitch became popular. Such a widespread presence in pop culture is bound to draw attention.

The movie version of Snow White didn’t meet its expected success at the box office, but it’s anticipated to perform better on Disney+ compared to its theater run. Even Marvel’s Thunderbolts* hasn’t impressed with its ticket sales, despite being one of the highest-rated MCU films. Fortunately, adorable characters like Stitch have compensated for this lackluster performance quite effortlessly.

*Note: I’ve used Thunderbolts as an example of a high-rated Marvel film, but it doesn’t currently exist in the MCU.

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2025-05-29 16:04