‘Lilo & Stitch’ Crosses $1 Billion Globally, Becomes 2025’s First Hollywood Film to Join the Club

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Jul 18

Disney's live action 'Lilo & Stitch' has surfed past the $1 billion at the global box office. **Courtesy of Disney**

Ohana means billion-dollar box office.

Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake has officially crossed the $1 billion global box office milestone, marking the first Hollywood title of 2025 to do so and solidifying its place as the year’s top-grossing Western release. The heartwarming live-action adaptation finished Wednesday with $416.2 million domestically and $584.8 million from international markets, totaling $1.001 billion globally.

It’s a major win not just for Disney, but for the theatrical marketplace in general, which has seen few titles reach that elusive ten-figure mark since the pandemic. The last to do it? Fellow Disney juggernaut Moana 2, which closed out Thanksgiving 2024 with a similarly massive run.

While China’s animated Ne Zha 2 reigns as the highest-grossing global film of the year—earning over $1.899 billion, largely from its domestic market—Lilo & Stitch leads the charge for English-language and Western productions.

Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and produced by Rideback, Lilo & Stitch has surpassed every expectation since debuting over Memorial Day weekend. A potent mix of nostalgic appeal and family-friendly adventure helped drive the film’s massive performance, especially among millennials and Gen Z audiences who grew up loving the original 2002 animated classic.

“There’s always been immense love for Lilo & Stitch, but we never take that for granted,” said Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman. “The way this film has connected with audiences worldwide is a testament to the story’s enduring magic and our team’s incredible work. We’re thrilled to continue building with these beloved characters.”

The live-action reimagining opened to a stunning $183 million over its first four days—contributing to the biggest Memorial Day weekend in box office history alongside Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning.

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It’s now one of only two films in 2025 to cross $400 million at the domestic box office, trailing only Warner Bros.’ Minecraft: The Movie, which currently sits at $423 million domestically and $955.1 million globally. Despite its impressive haul, Minecraft has yet to enter the billion-dollar club.

Internationally, Lilo & Stitch continues to set records, including becoming Disney’s highest-grossing live-action title of all time in Mexico. It also leads 2025’s box office charts in France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, and several other territories—proving that the film’s emotional resonance and tropical charm translate universally.

Disney has now produced four billion-dollar hits in just over a year: Lilo & Stitch, Moana 2, Deadpool & Wolverine($1.328B), and Inside Out 2 ($1.698B)—a show of strength as the studio leans into recognizable IP and four-quadrant crowd-pleasers.

The Lilo & Stitch franchise is also enjoying a resurgence on Disney+, where the original animated film and its spin-offs have clocked over 640 million hours of global viewership since the live-action film’s release.

With a sequel already in development, Stitch isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.