Featured Image Credit: Disney
Topics: Disney, TV And Film
Jess Hardiman
WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR LILO AND STITCH
Lilo and Stitch went up against the latest Mission Impossible film this weekend in a race for the box office top spot, although it sounds like - financially, at least - there were no real losers here after becoming two of the biggest films of the year with record-breaking takings.
But what did people think after parting with their hard-earned cash?
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Disney's Lilo and Stitch live-action remake reeled in a whopping $341m (£252m) globally for its opening weekend, not only breaking the record for the Memorial Day weekend in America, but also becoming the second highest opening of 2025 so far - the top spot goes to A Minecraft Movie.
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning, meanwhile, also took a not-too-shabby $190m (£140m) in ticket sales across the world.
However, while the former has comfortably won the battle of the box office, it seems the film itself has caused a bit of a stir among fans after the credits rolled.
The original 2002 animated movie ended happily as sisters Nani and Lilo allowed to live together as a family alongside Stitch, Jumba and Pleakley, having thankfully put an end to the concerns of social services.
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But in the remake, some people feel things don’t conclude quite so blissfully... although, as always, it sort of depends on who you’re asking.
In the 2025 version, Nani decides to follow her dreams by moving to the University of California to study marine biology, leaving Lilo in the care of David and his grandmother Tūtū.
“Family does NOT do that,” one person fumed on X.
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“When family is involved, you don’t pursue your dreams, you stay with/take care of your family. THEY are the priority, not your passions. Ohana means family. they seemed to ignore that.”
Someone else commented: “It straight-up feels EVIL. The government has a long history of forcibly removing Native children from their closest loved ones, and this film made it seem like they were sympathetic and right to do so. Completely guts Nani's character, which was so heightened by sisterly love.”
Referencing a popular social media trend, a third wrote: “Propaganda I'm not falling for: the ending of the Lilo & Stitch live-action movie.”
A fourth added: “The changes to the ending are genuinely gross and run COMPLETELY counter to the spirit and message of the original.”
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But many others argued it was a ‘perfect’ ending, which makes sense in the context of the narrative.
“Most people online are overreacting to the change in the Lilo & Stitch ending… it was not that bad and makes sense when you actually see it,” one argued.
“I bet people complaining haven’t even watched the movie.”
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Others also pointed out that it was also a more realistic way to wrap things up, even if it was ‘bittersweet.'
“Lilo nearly drowned in the film's climax, and she and Nani are uninsured due to her lost job,” one person explained.
“The social workers offer financial aid, but Nani would have to relinquish custody. So lose Lilo or drown them both in debt, Nani picked the former.”
Another agreed: “You guys just complain about anything atp. she leaves for college so she can have a career and eventually get her life together before trying to get Lilo to live with her again?? its not that hard to understand. in the animation Nani just gets Lilo back without an explanation.”