Adapted by:
John Tones
WriterI've been writing about culture for twenty-something years and, at Xataka, I cover everything related to movies, video games, TV shows, comics, and pop culture.
Alba Mora
WriterAn established tech journalist, I entered the world of consumer tech by chance in 2018. In my writing and translating career, I've also covered a diverse range of topics, including entertainment, travel, science, and the economy.
Lilo & Stitch has emerged as one of the biggest surprises at the box office in 2025. It surpassed Disney’s most modest expectations upon its release by recouping its budget within just a few days. Additionally, it ended the unfortunate streak of poorly received live-action remakes of Disney classics. They had been struggling in terms of both quality and box office performance.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean everything’s perfect now.
Economic success. The Lilo & Stitch remake collected $341 million worldwide in its first weekend. Nearly half of that total, $157.8 million, came from international markets. This makes it the second-best opening of the year, second only to A Minecraft Movie. The film has already doubled its earnings, reaching $610 million.
An effective formula. Lilo & Stitch is the latest success to follow a formula that, until recently, appeared to be foolproof: remaking the company’s animated classics into live-action films enhanced with CGI effects.
Although this idea has faced criticism, live-action remakes have consistently performed well at the box office. This was evident with early successes such as 101 Dalmatians in 1996 and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 2010, along with its sequel. The major hits continued from there.
Blockbusters and remakes. Starting with titles such as Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Maleficent, Disney’s strategy led to two major successes: Beauty and the Beast in 2017, which grossed $1.26 billion, and The Lion King in 2019, earning $1.66 billion. These critical and commercial hits solidified a formula for future films. However, they soon faced increased criticism, particularly with the disappointing releases of Aladdin and Dumbo, both from 2019.
Free fall. However, this formula couldn’t sustain itself indefinitely. Audience fatigue with Hollywood’s apparent lack of originality affected even successful franchises such as Marvel and Star Wars. This was evident in films such as Pete’s Dragon and Mulan. In fact, Mulan was diminished by the fact that it was released on Disney+ during the pandemic.
Recent failures include The Little Mermaid and Snow White. The Little Mermaid suffered from the effects of cultural debates. Meanwhile, Snow White was an overly expensive film that faced a negative public sentiment and a tumultuous promotional campaign with its two leads in conflict.
Additionally, a series of films has barely resonated with audiences. In many cases, they’ve bypassed theaters altogether, including Pinocchio, Peter Pan & Wendy, and Lady and the Tramp.
Two exceptions. However, the formula seems far from exhausted, or at least that’s what Disney must think. Despite a weak start and a premiere that fell below expectations, Mufasa managed to leverage the strength of The Lion King franchise and maintained its momentum throughout the Christmas season. It ended up collecting a satisfactory $670 million. Although this figure pales in comparison to its predecessor’s box office, it still ranks as one of the hits of 2024. The same can be said for Lilo & Stitch.
Why did these films succeed? There are two main reasons for their success despite the challenging landscape for remakes. First, Mufasa and Lilo & Stitch have avoided controversy related to their casting. Additionally, they haven’t been subjected to smear campaigns, review-bombing, and other toxic tactics that often plague fandoms.
Second, both franchises are in good health. The Lion King remains the most popular and highest-grossing remake in Disney history. Meanwhile, Lilo & Stitch has become a recent merchandising phenomenon. Annual product sales have skyrocketed from $200 million in 2019 to more than $2.6 billion last year, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Uncertainty looms. There are no guarantees of success in the coming years. Some remakes have been adversely affected by Snow White’s box office flop. For instance, Disney has halted Tangled’s production. Information on other projects, such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, and The Aristocats, remains scarce.
The biggest uncertainties revolve around Moana, scheduled for release in July 2026. It presents a significant risk. Its animated predecessor was released just seven years ago, in 2016, and a sequel has recently hit theaters. Will this seemingly secure film suffer due to the fatigue of the formula?
Hollywood can no longer overlook the fact that nearly all its blockbusters are sequels, remakes, and reboots. This formula provides short-term success at the expense of long-term sustainability, exemplified by the Moana live-action remake. In other words, Hollywood is running out of original movies to remake, leading to a dead end within a dead end.
Images | Disney
View 0 comments