Disney's live-action Lilo and Stitch remake and Tom Cruise's supposedly final Mission: Impossible outing have opened as two of the biggest films of the year in a record-breaking weekend at the box office. Lilo and Stitch, which revisits the 2002 animated family favourite, exceeded expectations with takings of $341m (£252m) around the world.

After the live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch and Cruise's Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning debuted in movie theaters across North America on Friday, May 23, Lilo & Stitch took the domestic box office's top spot as it grossed $183 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Globally, it made $341.7 million.

Last year, theater owners and industry professionals wrung their hands as Memorial Day box office performance tanked. This year could not be more different.