Disney’s live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has overtaken Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes to become the highest-grossing domestic film of 2024. Its continued success at the box office, combined with home availability on platforms like Amazon Prime and Apple TV, helped push its total US earnings beyond $418 million, more than doubling the $209 million domestic total of the 2009 Sherlock Holmes film.
Lilo & Stitch Breaks New Ground in This Year’s Box Office Race
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, Lilo & Stitch crossed the billion-dollar mark globally, making it the first Hollywood movie this year to do so, following China’s Ne Zha 2, which neared $2 billion. Its impressive theatrical run is now winding down as it becomes accessible on premium video on demand services. Despite this, the film still added $1.5 million domestically during its latest weekend, allowing it to surpass the box office performance of Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, a film that launched a successful franchise star-studded by Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.
Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes earned a notable $500 million worldwide on a $90 million budget and remains his only big-screen franchise to reach such heights. Lilo & Stitch’s success is buoyed by a 92% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling strong public approval, even though some critics have offered less favorable opinions. Aidan Kelley from Collider scored the movie 4 out of 10, remarking that it
“feels like it was made by a boardroom of folks who wanted to sell more Stitch merchandise.”
—Aidan Kelley, Reviewer
Upcoming Titles Set to Energize Theaters as Lilo & Stitch Winds Down
As Lilo & Stitch’s box office dominance begins to ease, the film industry is preparing for several major releases poised to attract moviegoers. Among these, the Marvel entry Fantastic Four: First Steps, starring Pedro Pascal, will make its theatrical debut. It joins an exciting lineup, including Gareth Edwards’ Jurassic World Rebirth, Universal’s remake of How to Train Your Dragon, Joseph Kosinski’s Formula 1 drama F1, Sony’s revitalization of I Know What You Did Last Summer, Ari Aster’s Eddington, and James Gunn’s Superman.
While audiences can still catch Lilo & Stitch in theaters, the arrival of these new films will broaden the selection available to viewers and test the endurance of box office appeal in the months ahead. Fans of the franchise can also look forward to a sequel, which is already underway following the remarkable success of this 2024 release.
Main Cast Bringing the Story to Life
The film stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo and Sydney Agudong as Nani, bringing fresh energy and emotion to this beloved story. Their performances contribute significantly to the film’s reception and enduring popularity.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Guy Ritchie a true story?
A. Guy Ritchie’s film, “The Covenant,” doesn’t follow the real story of a single person. Instead, it’s inspired by historical events. In 2016, The Smithsonian published an impactful article called “The Haunting Fate of the Afghan Interpreters the U.S. Left Behind.” This piece came out two years before the movie’s storyline.
Q. Is Guy Ritchie dyslexic?
A. Ritchie, who has dyslexia, went to Windlesham House School in West Sussex and Stanbridge Earls School in Hampshire. He was kicked out when he was 15 years old. Ritchie said he was expelled due to drug use, but his father mentioned it was because Ritchie skipped class and had a girl in his room.
