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“Every story deserves its own breath,” We’ve come to believe. And when it comes to bringing animation to live action, that breath can either be a fresh gust or a stale sigh. Dean DeBlois, the director behind How to Train Your Dragon live-action, nailed this truth when he admitted he’s never been keen on live-action remakes that feel like they’re elbowing their animated predecessors off the stage.

His vision was clear from day one: this wasn’t a replacement but an expansion. Contrast that with Disney’s Lilo & Stitch remake, which took liberties that some fans found more jarring than joyful, tweaking or even erasing key parts of what made the original beloved.

The thought behind How to Train Your Dragon’s live-action remake Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon (2025) | Image via Dreamworks Pictures

Earlier this year, How to Train Your Dragon director Dean DeBlois...

Bhool Chuk Maaf Ott Verdict: Misses The Top Spot For Debut Week Viewership! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

After a successful theatrical run, Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi’s romantic comedy Bhool Chuk Maaf has arrived on Ott. The film started streaming on Prime Video on June 6, and in only three days, it registered a huge viewership in its debut week!

2nd Biggest Debut – Huge Victory!

Rajkummar Rao has managed to bring the second biggest non-Netflix debut for a film on Ott. It stands only beside Tourist Family’s debut week numbers! However, Rajkummar Rao’s victory is huge since it has brought almost the same numbers in only three days!

Bhool Chuk Maaf Ott Verdict

Tourist Family managed to garner a massive 4 million views in its debut week, taking the fifth spot in the list of most-watched streaming originals in India for the week of June 2 – June 8, 2025, with estimates based on audience research by Ormax.

Spoiler Alert !!!This article contains spoilers for Ballerina and Lilo & Stitch.

As an action franchise, John Wick has managed to have a lot of staying power over the course of its four installments. With its blockbuster success with each installment, it was expected that the spin-off from the film’s third installment, Ballerina, would be a similar trailblazer at the box office.

However, the film failed even to outgross one of Disney’s most horrible offerings this summer, which has been endlessly criticized by fans and critics alike.

Despite being a fresh release, the film opened below expectations, grossing a meager $25 million domestically. At the same time, Lilo & Stitch, which fans have widely reviled for its horrible changes to the story, managed to sit on top of the box office for the third consecutive week, with its $32.5 million payout.

Multiple factors contributed to Lilo & Stitch‘s success Ballerina || Credit: Lionsgate

To begin with,...

Tourist Family Ott Verdict: Biggest Debut Week On JioHotstar! (Photo Credit –Facebook)

M Sasikumar’s Tamil drama, Tourist Family, has taken a roaring start on Ott. The film started streaming on JioHotstar on June 2, and in one week, it has brought a great viewership in its debut week. Interestingly, the film is still earning at the box office.

Biggest Debut Week Viewership!

Helmed by Abhishan Jeevinth, the film is rated 8.4 on IMDb, and the official synopsis says, “A quirky Sri Lankan family seeking a fresh start in India transforms a disconnected neighborhood into a vibrant community with their infectious love and kindness.”

Tourist Family Ott Verdict

Tourist Family managed to garner a massive 4.4 million views in its debut week, taking the fourth spot in the list of most-watched streaming originals in India for the week of June 2 – June 8, 2025, with estimates based on audience research by Ormax.

Trending Sikandar Ott Verdict:...

Lilo & Stitch continues to climb the box office chart. The 2025 movie, which was directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, is a live-action remake of Disney's 2002 animated movie of the same name and follows orphaned Hawaiian girl Lilo (Maia Kealoha) bonding with a chaotic, exiled, alien genetic experiment named Stitch (Chris Sanders) while her sister Nani (Sydney Elizebeth Agudong) attempts to prove that she is a viable guardian. The Lilo & Stitch release has been making a splash from the very beginning, as its $146 million domestic debut marked the best Memorial Day opening weekend in box office history.

Per Variety, as of Sunday morning, Lilo & Stitch is projected to close out its third weekend in theaters with a cumulative domestic total of $335.8 million and a global gross of $772 million. This makes it just the third movie of 2025 to pass the $750 million milestone worldwide, behind A Minecraft Movie ($949.7 million) and Ne Zha 2...

Disney’s live-action “Lilo and Stitch” looks set to dominate the box office for the third weekend in a row.

The film will hold off “Ballerina,” a “John Wick” movie, and it held off Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning.” When the film opened to a record $183 million on Memorial Day weekend, director Dean Fleischer Camp found it “pretty unbelievable. As you know, I’ve made smaller movies in the past, and this one breaking out in the way that way was so validating.”

The film was originally meant to be a direct-to-streaming title, set to air on Disney+, but things changed in 2024, and the film was given a theatrical release. Camp says of the shift, “I and the other filmmakers always believed that it could be a big, perfect summer blockbuster to go see on a huge screen. I’m proud of how hard it delivers on that.

Netflix has seen three Indian movies land on the chart at the same time. Indian cinema has a long history, with the best known subsection being Bollywood, the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai that has aided the rise of a number of global superstars including Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas. However, there are a number of other important film industries throughout the country creating blockbusters in various languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, Malayalam, Marathi, and Punjabi.

Modern Indian movies have become increasingly reliable moneymakers in the wake of the success of the smash 2022 hit Rrr, which won an Oscar for Best Original Song and became the third highest-grossing Indian movie in history at the time. It has since been surpassed by 2024's Pushpa 2: The Rule, with the wave of Indian blockbusters that it spurred also seeing 2023's Jawan and Pathaan and...

Devil’s Double Next Level Box Office Collection Day 22 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Santhanam starrer Tamil action horror flick, Devil’s Double Next Level is inching towards a complete budget recovery with each passing day but will fail to recover the same. However, the film is still enjoying a steady stronghold at the box office despite a tough competition. Here is taking a look at the box office performance of the film on its 22nd day.

Devil’s Double Next Level Box Office Collection Day 22

On its 22nd day, the Santhanam starrer earned 1 lakh at the box office when it came to its day-wise collection. The day-wise collections remained the same on its previous day when the movie minted the same amount. It saw a sharp drop of around 90% since the film amassed 11 lakhs on its previous day.

The total India net collection of the film comes to 18.26 crores. Including the taxes, the gross collection stands at 21.54 crores.

Tiger Shroff’s Post-covid Box Office: After A Disastrous Run, Will Baaghi 4 Give Him Comeback? (Photo Credit –Facebook)

Once upon a time, everyone predicted Tiger Shroff as the next big Bollywood superstar, but unfortunately, he failed to fulfill mammoth expectations. Yes, one can criticise him for his acting chops, but he managed to build his loyal fan base with smart script choices. He still has a strong base among the masses, and everyone hopes that Baaghi 4 unleashes his true box office potential. Keep reading for a detailed report!

Tiger Shroff is already an action star

Let’s be honest: not every Bollywood superstar is a good actor. There are some X factors that make a particular actor a superstar. Besides acting, screen presence also matters, and the off-screen persona is also very important. Off the screen, Tiger is known for his humble attitude and is loved unanimously for his behavior.

Nani’s Hit 3 Worldwide Box Office (Closing Collection)(Photo Credit –Instagram)

Hit: The Third Case, aka Hit 3, performed well at ticket windows and now, finally, after spending over a month in theatres, it has wrapped up its run. Starring Nani in the lead role, the film had tremendous potential, but it couldn’t cover the expected distance. The mixed word-of-mouth restricted it from meeting its full potential. Still, it did enough to emerge as the actor’s highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office. Keep reading for a detailed closing collection report!

Reception of the film

The Telugu action thriller was theatrically released on May 1, 2025. It opened to mixed reviews from critics. While the performance and the action quotient received praise, the film was criticised for its weak storyline and inconsistent screenplay. Among neutral audiences, too, it fared with mixed word-of-mouth. The violent sequences also garnered polarizing reactions from viewers.

Japan is currently gearing up for the premiere of Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch remake. To commemorate the upcoming film, Walt Disney Japan has released a heartwarming anime short based on the beloved IP.

Per Oricon US, Disney's new Lilo & Stitch animation was produced by "Tekken" -- a Japanese comedian and "flipbook" artist who also worked on Disney's Big Hero Six and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Utilizing their iconic animation style, Tekken retells Lilo and Stitch's classic 'ohana' story while referencing scenes featured exclusively in the new film. Lilo & Stitch (2025) will officially arrive in Japanese theaters on Friday, June 6 (June 7 Jst). Tekken's promotional short is currently featured on the Disney Studios Official YouTube channel and can be viewed below.

Disney Japan Releases Adorable New Anime Special for Lilo & Stitch

It has been over 20 years since the debut of Disney's original Lilo & Stitch animated film. The...

Thug Life Movie Review Rating:

Star Cast: Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan, Abhirami, Trisha Krishnan, Nassar, Joju George, Ashok Selvan, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ali Fazal, Rohit Saraf

Director: Mani Ratnam

Thug Life Movie Review(Photo Credit –Instagram)

What’s Good: Kamal Haasan’s performance, the gripping first half, some of the action sequences and Silambarasan’s performance.

What’s Bad: The second half completely falters, half-baked plot and sequences devoid of logic, no development of the supporting star cast.

Loo Break: You can honestly take one in the second half, it won’t result in much of a miss.

Watch or Not?: It can be a one-time watch for all the Kamal Haasan fans out there but it was certainly a missed opportunity.

Language: Tamil

Available On: Theatrical Release

Runtime: 163 minutes

User Rating:

The beginning of Kamal Haasan’s Thug Life starts with a brief monologue of the superstar...

Kankhajoora Ott Verdict: 3 Reasons Roshan Mathew Series Will Jump In Week 2! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

The Ott world is currently raving about a psychological thriller, Kankhajura, starring Roshan Mathew and Mohit Raina. The web series is adapted from an Iranian web series, Magpie, and is adapted by Chandan Arora for Indian audiences!

Starring Mohit Raina and Roshan Mathew, the official synopsis of the web series says, “A man serving a murder sentence who gets released early from prison on the condition that he cooperates with the police as their informant – a role (known as a magpie) that he also had in jail.”

Kankhajoora Ott Verdict

Kankhajoora managed to garner 1.8 million views in its debut week, taking the fifth spot in the list of most-watched streaming originals in India for the week of May 26 to June 1 2025, with estimates based on audience research by Ormax.

Trending Criminal Justice S4 Ott Verdict: With 12.5% Lesser...

Hit 3 Vs Retro Ott Verdict: Suriya Or Nani, Who Wins With Debut Week Viewership? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Nani and Suriya had a battle of sorts on Ott as well after their box office clash between Hit 3 and Retro. Both films arrived on Netflix this week, and one of them had a clear and roaring win over the other! Nani’s Telugu action drama had a victory with almost 68% higher viewership in the debut week!

Suriya Vs Nani

Suriya’s romantic action film, in its debut week on Netflix, took the third spot in India and the top spot in Sri Lanka in the top 10 list of non-English films this week, securing a spot in the top 10 in 13 countries. Meanwhile, Nani‘s Telugu action film secured the first spot only in India, followed by a spot in the top 10 in 14 countries.

Hit 3 Vs Retro Ott Verdict

As per the...

Sikandar Ott Verdict: Salman Khan Settles At Number 3 In Top 10 Debut Weeks Of 2025! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Salman Khan’s Sikandar has arrived on Netflix and is garnering good numbers. However, interestingly, Bhai’s arrival on Netflix took the 2nd spot in India in the weekly ranking, standing behind Nani’s Hit 3, which took the top spot!

Salman Khan Takes Top Spot Not In India But Pakistan & 8 Countries

Directed by Ar Murugadoss, Salman Khan‘s film is trending at the number 1 spot in nine countries on Netflix in the top 10 non-English films of the week – Bangladesh, Bahrain, Maldives, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, UAE, Nigeria, & Mauritius! It is, however, roaring in the top 10 non-English films of the week on Netflix in 27 countries.

Sikandar Ott Verdict

The film started streaming on Netflix on May 25. As per the weekly data by Netflix from May 26 to June 1, Sikandar garnered a viewership of 5.1 million on Netflix...

Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch held the top domestic slot for a second frame with an estimated $63 million, a 59 percent slide that analysts label “typical for front-loaded family titles” and enough to lift its North American tally to about $280 million. The sophomore haul follows last weekend’s record $183 million four-day Memorial Day launch, the best holiday opening on record, and propels the global total past $450 million after just eleven days in release.

Disney’s studio ledger now tops $2 billion for the calendar year, a threshold reached largely on the strength of the hybrid remake’s $341.7 million worldwide bow. Domestic receipts already eclipse the studio’s prior live-action high as Lilo & Stitch races toward the $300 million mark that insiders say would triple its reported $100 million production outlay before marketing.

The film’s staying power arrives despite fan blowback over a revised ending that sees Nani cede guardianship of Lilo, a change...

The live-action Lilo & Stitch remake quietly delivers a heartfelt new backstory for the Pelekai sisters' late parents. While the 2025 Disney remakebrings back the heart and humor of the 2002 animated classic, it also includes new emotional details, especially regarding Lilo and Nani's family history. The film, directed by Dean Fleischer Camp, includes many subtle set design choices that hint at the lives of their parents, who passed away in a car accident before the story began. These Easter eggs about their careers offer a new perspective on the original film's already emotional foundation.

In a recent interview with Variety, production designer Todd Cherniawsky broke down some of the Easter eggs that audiences might have missed. In terms of emphasizing Ohana, he revealed that Fleischer Camp had created a backstory about their parents as scientists, which led to the decision that one was a marine biologist and another a botanist. This...

Disney’s “Lilo & Stitch” continues to break records at the global box office. Over Memorial Day weekend, it made a record-breaking $183 million domestically and $341 million worldwide. The live-action film is a retelling of the studio’s 2002 animated feature, as its beloved characters are brought to life.

In true Disney style, the live-action film is filled with Easter eggs galore that pay homage to the original animated feature and Hawaiian culture. There are the obvious ones such as voice actors from the animated feature having parts in the film – Tia Carrere, the original voice actress for Nani, is playing the girls’ social worker. Amy Hill (Mrs. Hasagawa) is David’s grandmother, and Jason Scott Lee, who voiced David in the animated feature, plays Nani’s boss. Chris Sanders, the original Stitch voice actor, returns to growl and voice the CG version of the koala-like alien.

The film follows a lonely Hawaiian girl named Lilo,...

Disney’s live-action version of Lilo & Stitch made quite the splash when it debuted to the biggest Memorial Day opening weekend ever. But the film remake of the 2002 animated original about a Hawaiian girl and her frisky alien friend also spurred extensive debate surrounding changes to the narrative, particularly its ending.

One recent viral post on X (formerly Twitter) noted that a scene in the first movie in which Lilo and older sister Nani bond over the Hawaiian concept of “ohana” is changed in the new one. This led another user to post that it is “not crazy to say this movie is pro-colonize Hawaii propaganda.” (Spoilers are ahead.) The follow-up comment, which has received more than 200,000 likes, launched discussion over the new version’s ending, in which Nani (played by Sydney Elizebeth Agudong) moves to California for college and agrees to give up Lilo (Maia Kealoha) to the state,...

When Hit: The Third Case (or Hit 3) opens with Nani’s (The Natural actor) Sp Arjun Sarkaar behind bars, calmly narrating his story to a fellow inmate, we sense something is off — not just with the man, but with the system he once served. What follows is a brooding and blood-soaked descent into one of the darkest chapters of the Hit universe, where justice doesn’t always wear a uniform and truth often hides behind layers of pain. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, this third installment in the Homicide Intervention Team series trades clean police procedure for psychological chaos, exploring how far a cop can go before he becomes indistinguishable from the criminals he hunts.

Now that the dust has settled and the final blood has dried, it’s time to unravel what really happened — who Arjun killed and why, who the shadowy Ctk cult truly is, what Acp Dhanya Mohan...

Some childhood movies hit you with unexpected emotional depth, you think you’ve signed up for surfing aliens and singing lions, and suddenly you’re holding back tears as your popcorn goes stale. We’re seeing this now with Lilo & Stitch live-action, where kids are getting teary-eyed.

But there’s one scene in The Lion King that just lets the waterworks flow for everyone, and it’s from the old animated classic, of course, the revival doesn’t do justice to it. So let’s look at these heartwrenching moments from both of these movies and find out which one hits the hardest.

Lilo & Stitch: The underwater scene that’s making kids cry A still from Lilo & Stitch | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures

The 2025 live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has plenty of comedy, action, and chaos, and it seems like they’ve also managed to preserve its...

Last week, Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch defied all expectations by leaving Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning in the dust with a record-setting Memorial Day weekend opening of $182.6 million, and $392.6 million worldwide to date. Not accounting for inflation, that’s well above the box-office total of the original Lilo & Stitch animated film from 2002.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp retained Chris Sanders as the voice of Stitch, while Tia Carrere and Jason Scott Lee — the original voices of Nani and David — were cast in new roles for the live-action reboot. There was clearly an attempt to honor the past of the franchise, but that hasn’t stopped some Lilo & Stitch fans from venting on social media about Camp's creative choices.

All of Disney’s previous live-action titles made some adjustments for live-action. However, in making those changes, it feels like Camp and his collaborators lost some of the touches that made...

If you’ve got questions about the new Lilo & Stitch, we’ve got answers. Yes, Stitch might have caused most of the confusion, but Disney’s 2025 live-action-meets-animation reboot crash-landed into theaters with space chases, surf vibes, and serious ‘ohana feels. The remake brings weird, wild, and surprisingly emotional depth, like if an alien wrecking ball had a heart.

From the casting shake-ups to the return of Chris Sanders as the voice of everyone’s favorite blue menace, fans have been buzzing louder than Jumba’s lab equipment. Whether you’re wondering why Stitch ended up in a shelter, who’s who in the human-alien chaos, or what happened to Nani’s guardianship (justice for big sisters), we’ve rounded up the juiciest, weirdest, and most asked questions about Disney’s latest nostalgia-fueled adventure.

So grab your Elvis playlist and hang tight, we’re diving into hyperspace to answer the most...

Disney's live-action remake of the beloved Lilo & Stitch was a surprisingly fun adaptation of the animated classic. However, while reviews were mostly positive overall, one major change in this new version has many fans frothing at the mouth.

While it takes very little imagination to get audiences riled these days, the film's departure from the original's ending has ignited a massive wave of backlash towards both the remake and The Walt Disney Company. But how much of this is actual controversy, and how much is mob mentality?

Warning: Massive spoilers ahead for 2025's Lilo & Stitch!

Ohana means... (L-r) Maia Kealoha as Lilo, Stitch and Sydney Agudong as Nani in Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

In the original film, Lilo, Nani, and Stitch are kept together at the end, their house is rebuilt, and the sisters are kept from being separated thanks to the Galactic Federation,...

Lilo & Stitch has been a massive box office hit, grossing over $360 million worldwide since opening over Memorial Day weekend. Reviews have been mostly positive (it currently sits at 69% on Rotten Tomatoes), with an "A" CinemaScore suggesting moviegoers enjoyed it more than critics.

While Lilo & Stitch closely adapts the 2002 animated movie of the same name, there are still some significant changes. To name just a few: Cobra Bubbles is split into two characters, Captain Gantu is completely Mia, and Jumba is positioned as the lead villain.

The ending is similarly overhauled. Rather than Nani and David becoming Lilo's main caregivers, the title character is fostered by David and his grandmother. Nani, meanwhile, goes to college and uses Jumba's portal gun to frequently visit Lilo and Stitch.

The main complaint is that Nani "abandons" Lilo to chase her own dreams. However, that simplistic view does somewhat miss the point...

What to Watch on Ott This Week: May 26 to June 1, 2025 (Photo Credit – Instagram/Netflix)

Wondering what to watch this week? We’ve got you covered! Netflix is bringing three exciting titles, each in a different language, including two from South India and one from the UK. Over on JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar, there’s a brand-new addition to the MCU and a fresh Hindi series. Surprisingly, ZEE5 joined the party with three new releases! Dept. Q, Captain America: Brave New World, Criminal Justice S4, and more are set to hit Ott this week. Curious to know the titles, plot summaries, and trailers for all these and more? Just scroll down!

Netflix

Hit: The Third Case (Telugu) May 29, 2025

Hit: The Third Case is an action thriller written and directed by Sailesh Kolanu. It stars Nani as a cop from the Homicide Intervention Team (Hit) from Visakhapatnam, who is sent...

Written and directed by Sailesh Kolanu, Hit: 3 works tirelessly to make sure that Nani, the protagonist, is portrayed as the deadliest super cop, but in the process they forget that without a good script and execution, nothing could save their cause. I felt the creators had an idea about what they wanted to do, but they were not able to execute it properly. Also, they dealt with the main plot on such a superficial level that I was never really able to connect with the characters. The idea of a religious cult running an organ trafficking syndicate had some potential, but the creators wasted the opportunity. I have always believed a protagonist is only as good as his nemesis. Prateik Babbar’s character was reduced to being so gimmicky that it made the entire narrative look quite frivolous. That said, let’s find out what happened in the film and...

This story contains Spoilers for the new Lilo & Stitch movie.

The live-action remake of Disney'sLilo & Stitch has gotten mixed reviews from critics, and some people have heavily criticized it for the ending. Unlike in the original movie, Lilo's caregiver sister Nani gives her up to foster care in this one and heads to college to study marine biology.

There's been such an outcry about the ending, in fact, that the film's director Dean Fleischer Camp has taken to X/Twitter to defend it. He reposted a Forbes article from Laura Sirikul titled "How The Ending Of Disney’s Lilo & Stitch Honors The Meaning Of Ohana" and wrote, "For anybody questioning the ending of our film, this beautiful piece by @lsirikul nails it."

For anybody questioning the ending of our film, this beautiful piece by @lsirikul nails it https://t.co/k8ZCz1YbTA— Dean Fleischer Camp (@Dfleischercamp) May 26, 2025

The article...

2025's Lilo & Stitch understandably makes some changes to the original 2002 animated movie, but even a minuscule one spotted by long-time fans has been explained by the director.In the original film, one of Lilo's beloved quirks is her routine with Pudge the fish, to whom she brings a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every Thursday. She also says that Pudge "controls the weather," and it is widely believed that she feeds him so he will not cause a storm that will cause another car accident like the one her parents died in.

However, in the live-action movie, Lilo brings Pudge a different sandwich (lettuce and tomato), which director Dean Fleischer Camp actually explained to USA Today. Check out his comments below:

Peanut butter didn't read very well underwater [...] The process of adapting one of these films thoughtfully is taking every piece that you like from the original and saying,...

Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitchremake sets a new box office record over its opening weekend.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Lilo & Stitch has officially broken the previous box office record for the best Memorial Day weekend in terms of overall revenue. Released on May 23, Lilo & Stitch brought in over $92.7 million across its four-day opening weekend domestically, with the film's total global box office haul standing at a staggering $361.3 million, far surpassing its $100 million production budget. The previous record for best Memorial Day opening weekend at the box office was held by 2007's Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End, which held strong at $140 million for nearly two decades.

Based on the 2002 film of the same name, Disney's Lilo & Stitch is the latest in an ever-expanding line of live-action remakes of the studio's beloved animated features. The live-action film stars Maia Kealoha as Lilo Pelekai, a six-year-old Native Hawaiian with a...

Dean Fleischer Camp explains why Stitch is less violent in his rendition of Lilo & Stitch. The Disney live-action remake is now in theaters, reintroducing audiences to the young Hawaiian protagonist and her alien friend. While Chris Sanders returns to be the voice of Stitch, the movie features a largely new cast including Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Hill, and Tia Carrere (who voiced Nani in the original). The remake is doing incredibly well in theaters so far, debuting at $183 million domestically over the four-day Memorial Day weekend.

Speaking with RadioTimes.com, Camp explained the changes made to Stitch in the live-action film. The director mentioned that elements of "Stich's level of destruction" can read as "very funny" in an animated setting, but do not translate as well to the live-action landscape. As such, he and his team tried to figure out how to...

This is the best time for movies in theaters. The Memorial Day Weekend releases, Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning and Lilo & Stitch, scored big with surprising opening numbers. They beat the numbers set in the 2013 Memorial Day weekend haul, and Lilo & Stitch went on to break Top Gun: Maverick‘s Memorial Day opening weekend record.

While fans expected the family movie Lilo & Stitch to top Tom Cruise’s MI8 at the box office, the current numbers were never foreseen. Despite opening in second place, Cruise is probably content with the numbers, which marked the highest opening numbers for the franchise, narrowly beating Mission: Impossible—Fallout.

Lilo & Stitch‘s box office numbers during the Memorial Day Weekend Lilo, played by Maia Kealoha, and Stitch in the live-action film Lilo & Stitch | Credits: Walt Disney Pictures

It wasn’t just families who flocked in to see Disney’s Lilo & Stitch during the Memorial Day Weekend.

"Lilo & Stitch" creator and co-director Chris Sanders randomly chose Hawaii for the film's setting after recently vacationing there, but it ended up being the perfect place for his story of displacement and belonging. The filmmakers behind "Lilo & Stitch" genuinely respected Hawaiian culture and cared about representing it fairly, making frequent research trips to study all aspects of Pacific Islander living.

"There was a lot of careful observation of the folks we met, and trying to channel that regular-life-in-Hawaii feel into the movie so that it didn't come across as just people in hula skirts standing on a beach, like Blue Hawaii," co-writer/co-director Dean DeBlois explained to Vulture. Since the filmmakers were, after all, two white men, they had a responsibility to portray the Native experience with reverence, which Sanders rightfully acknowledges:

"Dean and I have no business telling a Hawaiian story. You can tell stories like that, but then...

“Lilo & Stitch”, the new animated feature, following a young Hawaiian girl who befriends an ‘alien’, grossed ‘Domestic’ $183,000,000 and ‘International’ $158,700,000 for a ‘Worldwide’ box office total of $341,700,000, after 4 days in theatrical release:

“…the original film tells the story of two individuals: an orphaned Hawaiian girl named ‘Lilo Pelekai’, who is raised by her struggling older sister, ‘Nani’, after their parents' deaths…

“…and the genetically engineered extraterrestrial creature ‘Experiment 626’, who Lilo adopts as her ‘dog’ and renames ‘Stitch’…

“Stitch, designed to cause chaos and destruction, initially uses Lilo to avoid recapture by an ‘intergalactic federation’.

“They develop a close bond through the Hawaiian concept of ‘Ohana’, or extended family, causing Stitch to reconsider…

“…his intended destructive purpose in order to keep his newfound family together…”

Click the images to enlarge….

Ace Box Office Collection Day 3(Photo Credit –Facebook)

The Vijay Sethupathi starrer Tamil romantic-crime flick, Ace has been witnessing dismal performance at the box office. While it has managed to cross 4 crores within its 3 days, this is hardly an impressive score, given Sethupathi’s star power. Here is taking a look at the box office performance of the film on its 3rd day.

Ace Box Office Collection Day 3

The Vijay Sethupathi starrer opened at 1 crore which was not a very favorable opening. On its second day, the film witnessed a growth of 62% and earned 1.62 crore. Now, according to the early estimates in Sacnilk, the movie saw a dip which is not a very good sign.

On its third day, the movie saw a dip of around 12% and earned 1.42 crore. The total India net collection of Ace now stands at 4.04 crore. The film is now inching towards 5 crore but needs a...

Narivetta Box Office Day 3(Photo Credit –Facebook)

The Tovino Thomas starrer Malayalam action drama, Narivetta was released in the theatres on May 23, 2025. The film opened to positive reviews and has been maintaining a good pace at the box office. Here is taking a look at the box office performance of the film on its 3rd day.

Narivetta Box Office Collection Day 3

The Tovino Thomas starrer opened at 1.65 crore which was not a very bad opening. The positive word of mouth worked in its favor and the 2nd day saw a growth of around 19% and amassed 1.97 crore. Now, on the third day, the movie continued a decent upward graph.

According to the early estimates in Sacnilk, Narivetta witnessed a growth of around 20% and earned 2.37 crore. The total India net collection of the film now comes to 5.99 crore. The movie has now almost amassed 6 crores.

Trending Hit 3 Box Office Collection Day...

Disney's new Lilo & Stitch convincingly dominated the Memorial Day weekend box office even with Tom Cruise's highly anticipated Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning opening alongside the Mouse House's re-imagining. In addition to breaking some major holiday box office records along the way, director Dean Fleischer Camp's updated take on Experiment 626 has officially outperformed the original Lilo & Stitch's entire financial theatrical run in a single weekend.

The animated Lilo & Stitch captured the hearts and imaginations of movie lovers back in the summer of 2002, but directors Chris Sanders — who also voices Experiment 626 — and Dean DeBlois' original film only made $245.8 million over the course of its entire theatrical run, while the new Lilo & Stitch has already made an estimated $304.2 million (three-day) and $342 million (four-day) worldwide over the Memorial Day weekend alone.

Many critics were less than impressed by the 2025 Lilo & Stitch re-imagining when compared next to the original film,...

Bhool Chuk Maaf Box Office Day 3 Early Estimates! (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Bhool Chuk Maaf is witnessing a glorious run at the Indian box office. Karan Sharma’s directorial has recorded its biggest day. Not only has it crossed the double-digit score but it is now officially the Rajkummar Rao’s 8th highest-grossing film of 2025. Scroll below for day 3 early trends!

Bhool Chuk Maaf Box Office Day 3 Early Trends

The much-awaited moment is here! The early reviews may have been mixed, but Rajkummar Rao and Wamiqa Gabbi‘s sci-fi romantic drama is surpassing all odds. As per early trends, Bhool Chuk Maaf has earned 11-12 crores on day 3. It has shown around 12-22% growth compared to 9.81 crores garnered on Saturday.

This is the biggest jump for Bhool Chuk Maaf, leading to an opening weekend of whopping 28.01-29.01 crore net. After surpassing expectations in the last 3 days, it will now be interesting...

Hit 3 Box Office Collection Day 24 Update! ( Photo Credit – YouTube )

Nani and Srinidhi Shetty starrer Hit 3 is close to concluding its box office run. The Telugu action thriller will complete its fourth weekend today. There’s barely been any growth despite the Saturday boost. Check out the collection in 24 days.

How much has Hit 3 earned in India?

As per Sacnilk, Hit: The Third Case earned 13 lakhs on day 24. Telugu continues to be the dominant belt, but it is impressive how Nani & Srinidhi Shetty’s film is still adding footfalls in Tamil, Kannada as well as Hindi. In the last 24 hours, Sailesh Kolanu’s directorial has witnessed only 18% growth.

The total box office collections of Hit 3 surges to 79.95 crore net in India. Including taxes, the gross earnings come to 94.34 crores in 24 days. It is made on a budget of 70 crores. The makers have raked in returns of 9.95 crores so far.

The new, live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has brought back three voice actors for a full-circle moment.

If you didn’t know, Tia Carrere played Lilo’s older sister Nani in the original 2002 animated film. Meanwhile, Jason Scott Lee played Nani’s boyfriend David, and Amy Hill played the fruit vendor Mrs. Hasagawa.

Now, the three also have roles in the 2025 live-action version of the film. Tia now plays Mrs. Kekoa, a social worker who handles Lilo and Nani’s case. Jason now plays the character of Nani’s boss at the Luau, and Amy plays Tutu, Nani and Lilo’s next-door neighbor.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp recently explained the thought process behind the casting.

Keep reading to find out more…

“We didn’t write those characters for specific people. We had planned to just do auditions with all of their characters. We were just focused on trying to tell a good adaptation,...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for 2025's Lilo & Stitch.Exclusive: The new Lilo & Stitch brought back a couple of stars from the beloved 2002 animated classic, one of whom is particularly in service of a main character's expanded arc. Lilo & Stitch is primarily about a recently orphaned Hawaiian girl, Lilo (Maia Kealoha), who adopts a havoc-wreaking alien with whom she forms a life-changing bond. However, a hugely important character in the story who gets more attention in Disney's live-action remake is Lilo's older sister Nani (Sydney Agudong), who has become her guardian after their parents’ deaths.

Chris Sanders returned to Lilo & Stitch to continue to provide Stitch's distinct voice, but the original voice actor of Nani also played a role. As Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance) is made only a CIA agent in the new movie, an original character is introduced as Lilo and Nani's social worker, Mrs. Kekoa, played by Tia Carrere.

Lilo & Stitch's live-action remake made a major change to a memorable character, and the director has now provided an explanation. Disney's latest and possibly best remake brings back the heart and humor of the 2002 animated classic while updating several elements for a more realistic tone. One of the biggest changes is Cobra Bubbles. Originally an ex-CIA agent turned social worker, Bubbles is split into two live-action roles: a CIA agent (Courtney B. Vance) and a new social worker called Mrs. Kekoa, portrayed by the original Nani voice actor, Tia Carrere.

In a recent interview with USA Today, director Dean Fleischer Camp explained that Cobra Bubbles' changes were rooted in the realism required for the live-action format. According to Camp, it was easy for audiences to believe that a towering man with a "Cobra" tattooed on his knuckles was a social worker in the animated movie. However, that kind of...

Calling the live-action remakes of Disney's animated classics "live-action" falls under the same discourse umbrella held by James Cameron's "Avatar" films, where the lack of a distinction between live-action, hybrid, and full-on animated cinema makes it difficult for audiences to know just how much CGI to expect. Regarding the remake of "The Lion King" and the movie's prequel, "Mufasa," we're talking about essentially 100%, pure photorealistic CGI animation.

On the flip side, there's something like "Snow White" or "Beauty and the Beast," a movie where human actors interact with other humans as well as CGI characters, not to mention the combination of tangible sets and CGI scenery. The latest title to get the live-action treatment is "Lilo & Stitch," a reimagining of the beloved 2002 animated story of a misunderstood little girl in Hawai'i who befriends a dangerous alien, thinking he's just a very unusual-looking dog.

Stitch is one of Disney's greatest original creations,...

Eleven Box Office Day 9 (Photo Credit – Instagram)

The Telugu crime thriller Eleven was released at the box office on May 16, 2025. Despite a low buzz, the film is managing to perform decently at the box office. Here is taking a look at the box office collection of the film on its 9th day.

Eleven Box Office Collection Day 9

On its 9th day, the Naveen Chandra starrer earned 37 lakhs when it came to its day-wise collection. This was a growth of 60% since the movie amassed 23 lakhs on its previous day. The total India net collection of the movie comes to 2.44 crore.

The film now inches towards 3 crores but needs a more positive word of mouth to see a growth in the collection. It is also facing a tough competition from the recently released South movies especially Nani’s Hit 3. It will be interesting to see whether the movie manages to see...

Disney’s latest live-action remake, Lilo & Stitch, just debuted in theaters. The film is about to leave its messy paw prints all over the box office on its potentially historic holiday opening weekend. In the build up to the new adaptation, Stitch has reclaimed the merchandise landscape with new apparel collections, Funko Pops and action figures. Now, as this lovable blue furball sets a new gold standard for Disney reimaginings, Neca has unveiled their latest music-filled Stitch figure.

Apart of Neca’s popular seven-inch-scale Ultimate line, this new three-inch-tall figure is Gold Suit Elvis Stitch. Of course, Elvis is Lilo and Stitch's favorite rock ‘n' roll icon. This Stitch is fitted with Elvis' signature hairdo and a gold suit to match. He also has a microphone stand, ready to bring the house down. If that wasn't enough to get Disney fans singing “Suspicious Minds”, the figure includes interchangeable heads, hands,...

Disney’s live-action remake “Lilo & Stitch” reaches U.S. cinemas for the Memorial Day frame amid forecasts of a $170-180 million domestic debut, a figure that would eclipse the holiday record and leave Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” far behind.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp has confirmed that Captain Gantu, the massive Galactic Federation enforcer who menaced Lilo and Stitch in the 2002 animated hit, has been cut from the new screenplay. “Gantu was one of those things that just didn’t work so well in live action… we had to free up real estate to tell a story with a little more emotional depth, especially between the sisters,” Fleischer Camp told CinemaBlend.

The omission pushes Zach Galifianakis’s Dr. Jumba Jookiba from eccentric scientist to principal threat, altering the comic rhythm he shares with Billy Magnussen’s Pleakley and reshaping the stakes of Stitch’s escape,...

Lilo & Stitch director Dean Fleischer Camp has finally addressed the absence of one of the animated movie’s fan-favorite characters in the live-action adaptation. The acclaimed filmmaker is best known for his work on the 2021 animated film Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.

During a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Fleischer Camp explained the creative team’s controversial decision to remove beloved villain Captain Gantu from the live-action Lilo & Stitch. He admitted that they did try to include the said character. However, they just weren’t able to find a way to translate Gantu into live-action, while keeping the story emotional and grounded. “Gantu was one of those things that just didn't work so well in live-action. We explored it a bit, but ultimately we had to make the decision,” he said.

Fleischer Camp continued, “And also I do stand by...

Lilo & Stitch are back in live-action, and their new “Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride” is complete with several familiar songs as well as Elvis Presley hits.

New and familiar faces complete the cast of Disney’s remake of the 2002 animated classic, with several well-known actors voicing the alien characters from Stitch’s world. Even some actresses who voiced characters in the original movie make appearances in the live-action film. Sydney Agudong’s Nani even performs a song or two for her younger sister, whose hula classes also call for music.

The sisters’ love of music, vinyl and the King of Rock and Roll is evident in the live-action remake of their beloved story. Native Hawaiian Bruno Mars also had a hand in a few musical contributions to the movie.

Find the full Lilo & Stitch live-action soundtrack below:

“He Lei Pāpahi No Lilo A Me Stitch” by Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu and Kamehameha...

With Lilo & Stitch‘s journey to live-action, at least one character didn’t return from the original 2002 Disney animated film.

Director Dean Fleischer Camp recently explained he had to “free up real estate” in his new remake, now playing in theaters, which is why Captain Gantu of the Galactic Federation doesn’t appear in his remake.

“Gantu was one of those things that just didn’t work so well in live action,” he told Cinema Blend. “We explored it a bit, but ultimately we had to make the decision.”

Camp added, “And also, I do stand by the decision, ’cause I feel like a lot of the things that, in trying to ground these characters more and tell a story with a little more emotional depth, especially between the sisters, I feel like you have to free up real estate to allow that breathing room to do those things.”

In...

The recently-released live-action remake Lilo & Stitch replaces the original's Captain Gantu with another iconic character as the primary antagonist, a decision filmmakers discussed in an interview. As director Dean Fleischer Camp notes, a lot of Lilo & Stitch's story is miscommunications between well-meaning characters. Lilo & Stitch is about sisters Nani (Sydney Agudong) and Lilo (Maia Kealoha) trying to stay together after their parents' deaths when they adopt alien Stitch (Chris Sanders), who they are unaware is being hunted by galactic law enforcement.

Jumba (Zach Galifianakis) and Pleakley (Billy Magnussen) have their own goals, but their primary aim of capturing Stitch before he destroys Hawaii is reasonable. A lot of the conflict simply comes from this storyline overlapping with Nani trying to convince social services that she is a suitable guardian for Lilo. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fleischer Camp commented on splitting up Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance) and social worker Mrs.