The eighth instalment of the Mission: Impossible franchise may have promised fans to “expect the impossible,” but even Tom Cruise might not have foreseen this cinematic twist: a live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch has triumphed over his adrenaline-pumping blockbuster at the global box office.
Released last weekend, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning features the signature high-stakes action Cruise is known for—diving 500 feet underwater in icy arctic waters and performing a biplane stunt at 10,000 feet. At 62, Cruise remains committed to pushing cinematic boundaries as IMF agent Ethan Hunt, a role he’s embodied since 1996. But box office numbers don’t lie, and this time, family-friendly nostalgia beat edge-of-your-seat thrills.
According to Variety, Lilo & Stitch launched with an eye-watering R6.2 billion (converted from $341 million) in global ticket sales, significantly ahead of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which brought in R3.6 billion (converted from $200 million).
This places Lilo & Stitch as the second biggest opening weekend of 2025, right behind A Minecraft Movie, which earned R5.7 billion in just three days when it debuted in April.
History Repeats Itself — With a Twist
In an unexpected echo from the past, this isn’t the first time Tom Cruise has faced off with Lilo & Stitch. Back in 2002, the original animated Lilo & Stitch clashed at the box office with Spielberg’s Minority Report, also starring Cruise. That battle ended in a close call, with Minority Report narrowly edging out Lilo & Stitch by just over R7 million at the time.
This year’s showdown may feel like poetic justice for Disney fans, as Lilo & Stitch has now soared past Cruise’s latest thriller by a significant margin.
Critical Reception: High Stunts, Mixed Reviews
Despite its strong visuals and Cruise’s unwavering dedication, the eighth Mission: Impossible entry has received mixed critical responses.
Tori Brazier of Metro noted that the film’s dialogue often lags behind its daring set pieces. “Sometimes the dialogue – always taking a second seat to the stunts, as freely admitted by tight-knit collaborators McQuarrie and Cruise – is so basic, clunky and on the nose that it’s funny by accident,” she wrote.
Still, there’s a sense of reverence for the franchise’s relentless pursuit of big-screen spectacle.
“After nearly 30 years making these films, it feels like the point at which Ethan Hunt starts and Tom Cruise finishes is virtually non-existent – but I’m not sure that really even matters,” Brazier added. “Now more than ever, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning proves Cruise is the last of a dying breed, so utterly committed as he is to his calling as a movie star to thrill audiences.”
Is This the Final Mission?
While Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning may be the franchise’s swan song, its legacy as a cultural landmark is unlikely to be diminished by its box office performance. Cruise’s devotion to practical stunts and real-world action remains an increasingly rare commodity in modern filmmaking, and the franchise’s fanbase is as loyal as ever.
However, the numbers speak volumes about the evolving landscape of cinema. Audiences, it seems, are equally hungry for heartfelt storytelling and CGI-boosted nostalgia as they are for pulse-pounding spy drama.
If this truly marks the end of Ethan Hunt’s decades-long run, Mission: Impossible bows out not in defeat, but with a reminder that in today’s film industry, the impossible isn’t just a mission—it’s the competition.
