Lilo & Stitch Captures Millennials And Gen Z

Disney’s live-action remake of 2002’s Lilo & Stitch has become a ginormous box-office hit thanks to millennial and older Gen Z audiences who flocked to the theater for a sweet dose of nostalgia.

The Big Picture: While 80s and 90s nostalgia has fueled the box office over the past decade, Lilo & Stitch may signal a next chapter — Hollywood embracing nostalgia for properties that people around their 30s grew up with. Considering the film’s above-expectations debut, prepare for the greenlights on projects that speak to a similar audience to start flashing.

Behind the Scenes: The Zillennials have a soft spot for Lilo & Stitch.

• The movie opened domestically at $182.7 million — the biggest ever on Memorial Day weekend, beating out 2023’s Top Gun: Maverick.
• It’s already crossed $400 million globally, outgrossing the original animated movie’s total of$273.1 million at the box office.
• Adults made up 56% of ticket buyers, while those between the ages of 18 and 24 comprised 32% of the non-family audience. 33% were between the ages 25 and 34, per PostTrak.

End Credits: While the original Lilo & Stitch wasn’t a hit and came during a time not considered a “golden age” of Disney Animation (although, who doesn’t consider The Emperor’s New Groove a masterpiece?), the IP has grown in popularity due to a steady stream of direct-to-DVD sequels, low-budget shows, and video games — people kept falling in love with Stitch.

THR reports that even Disney execs in their 40s were astonished when employees in their 20s and 30s were psyched that Lilo & Stitch was getting a live-action re-imagining — showing that there was more love for the title than Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and Snow White.

Prediction: The Zillennial moviegoing wave could fuel August’s Freakier Friday into an unexpected hit… which would really demonstrate that blockbuster spectacle is no longer the main draw at the box office for young people.