“Millions of moviegoers this holiday weekend proved once again that going to the cinema is a true American pastime,” said Michael O’Leary, President and CEO of Cinema United. “Records aside, it’s clear that movie theaters are cultural and economic hubs in cities and towns of all sizes, uniting communities across the country in the singular thrill of seeing a movie on the big screen. This weekend is just the start of what will be a great summer for movie fans around the world.”
From Variety, as of Sunday evening:
It’s a Memorial Day weekend for the box office record books.
Movie theaters across the country were jamming as “Lilo & Stitch” and Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” fueled the largest Memorial Day holiday in history — and established several other benchmarks in the process.
Families turned out in force for Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake, which collected a blockbuster $145.5 million in its opening weekend and an estimated $183 million through Monday. Those ticket sales defied projections and cemented a Memorial Day opening weekend record, overtaking a different Cruise tentpole, 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” with $126 million over the weekend and $160 million through the four days. “Lilo & Stitch” also secured the second-largest start across any four-day holiday weekend, behind only 2018’s “Black Panther,” which amassed $242 million over Presidents’ Day.
Meanwhile, older audiences showed up to watch Paramount and Skydance’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” which earned a series-best $63 million over the weekend and an estimated $77 million through Monday’s holiday. This eighth installment just narrowly beat 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” ($61 million) to score the top debut of the 29-year-old franchise.
…
Thanks to effective counterprogramming — and a huge assist by holdovers like “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “Thunderbolts*” and “Sinners” — this weekend delivered the best collective Memorial Day weekend haul with $322 million across all films. It’s been more than a decade since this many people went to the movies over the holiday frame; the prior record was established in 2013 with $314 million across all films, led by “Fast & Furious 6,” “The Hangover Part III” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”
