It's shaping up to be a huge Memorial Day weekend at the North American box office. While Lilo & Stitch will easily defeat Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, the latter movie has received better reviews from critics.
Audiences, however, appear to feel differently...based on their respective CinemaScores, at least.
As a reminder, CinemaScore is a market research firm that surveys audience reactions to newly released movies. After attending opening night screenings, moviegoers rate films on an A+ to F scale, providing insights into audience satisfaction.
Widely used in the film industry, CinemaScore helps gauge the initial reception of movies and influences box office predictions based on audience feedback.
Lilo & Stitch has been awarded an "A" grade, the same score given to Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Cruella, and The Little Mermaid. It's also placed higher than Mufasa: The Lion King and Jungle Cruise (A-) and Snow White (B+).
When it comes to Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, it has an "A-," putting it on par with Mission: Impossible 3, Ghost Protocol, and Rogue Nation.
However, Tom Cruise's last ride as Ethan Hunt ranks lower than Fallout and Dead Reckoning Part One (A), but above Mission: Impossible (B+), and Mission: Impossible 2 (B).
In terms of box office, current estimates point to a four-day opening of $170 million - $180 million for Lilo & Stitch, with Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning trailing behind with $78 million.
During a recent interview with Deadline, Lilo & Stitch executive producer Jonathan Eirich revealed when the decision was made to pivot to a theatrical release for what was once a Disney+ Original.
"It was an ongoing conversation and a process," he confirmed. "It wasn’t official-official until right before D23, so that’s when we sort of landed on what the release date was going to be and revealing Stitch to the world. But it was always being discussed, and I think there was always a conversation about which way it would go."
Director Dean Fleischer Camp added, "I was so happy when I found that out because, sure, it will reach a different type of audience [on streaming] or whatever, but I think we’re always trying to make a movie that you would want to see with a big group in a big theater and feel all the feelings together. The movie is about Ohana and all those things, so it really enhances the experience."
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning is currently "Certified Fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes with 80%. Lilo & Stitch holds a 70% score.
Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family. Our lives are the sum of our choices. Tom Cruise is Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
Have you seen either of these movies yet? If so, let us know your spoiler-free thoughts below.