ballarina

Box Office: ‘Ballerina’ Stumbles as ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Retains Box Office Crown

Ana de Armas’ assassin debut can’t unseat Disney’s animated juggernaut!

After three weeks, Ana de Armas‘ high-kicking assassin from the John Wick universe couldn’t land a blow on the blue alien from Hawaii. Ballerina, Lionsgate’s latest franchise hopeful, opened to $25 million domestically, failing to unseat Disney’s holdover Lilo & Stitch, which clung to the top spot yet again. Globally, Ballerina managed a modest $51 million start, $26 million of that coming from 82 international markets.

It’s a soft launch for a $90 million action thriller, even with Ana de Armas front and center and Keanu Reeves dropping in for a cameo. The studio had hoped for at least $30 million stateside, but the numbers simply didn’t land. “This is a weak opening for an action thriller spin-off,” said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, speaking to Variety. “Audiences are enthusiastic about the movie, they just aren’t attending in big numbers.”

lilo & Stitch
Lilo & Stitch | Walt Disney Studios

Despite a CinemaScore of “A-” and a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Ballerina didn’t lure fans into theaters the way previous “Wick” entries did. It’s worth noting that the titular hitwoman, Eve Macarro, is a new face in the universe, and unlike Reeves’ brooding John Wick, she didn’t come with an established fanbase or legacy to ride.

Lilo & Stitch held firm at the top of the box office for a third straight weekend, pulling in $32.5 million domestically. The Disney remake has now amassed $335.8 million in North America and a towering $772.6 million globally.

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The Final Reckoning | Skydance | Paramount Pictures

Rounding out the top five, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning took third place with $15 million, pushing its worldwide total to $450 million — not quite enough to justify its towering $400 million budget. Karate Kid: Legends fell 58% in its second week, pulling in $8.7 million. Meanwhile, Final Destination Bloodlines added another $6.4 million, officially becoming the franchise’s biggest hit with $257 million worldwide.

Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme entered the mix at No. 6, earning $6.2 million as it expanded into wide release. Cinephiles showed up, but general audiences weren’t thrilled, handing it a “B-” on CinemaScore.

With overall box office revenue up 26% from last year, Hollywood is eyeing a big summer. Whether it hits the elusive $4 billion mark — last achieved during the ‘Barbenheimer’ boom of 2023 — will depend on how upcoming heavyweights like F1, Jurassic World, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps perform.

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