Ask anyone with a head for numbers and they’d probably agree that the first billion is always the hardest. Many 2025 movies are trying, and Disney’s live-action Lilo & Stitch remake became the first Hollywood flick in 2025’s $1 billion club. That’s definitely something to smile about, but Maia Kealoha, one of the film’s stars, did more than that when recalling her own feelings on the matter.
This adorable piece of information comes courtesy of THR, which is in attendance at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. The outlet caught up with Maia Kealoha, who was with co-stars Tia Carrere and Sydney Agudong. During the chat, the trio were asked the billion-dollar question. All were enthusiastic about the milestone, but it was Kealoha’s expression of disbelief that really took the cake. You can see it in this clip, which was shared to Instagram:
Her expression is downright priceless and too cute to deny! The child star's enthusiasm is also more than understandable. This milestone marks a major occasion for the live-action Disney's remake. Ultimately, it represents a touch of the old, pre-lockdown world, in which record setting $1 billion grosses felt a bit more common. With that, it was also commonplace to see stars expressing gratitude for such success.
One wouldn’t have been faulted for believing that Lilo & Stitch’s 2025 revamp (which will eventually be streamable with a Disney+ subscription) would be a hit before it started its box office run. Perhaps 2024’s box office figures may have swayed even the most jaded adults. Per Box Office Mojo, the only three movies to crack $1 billion last year were Disney titles.
Part of the reason Kealoha was so amped for the announcement is because the news came with a learning opportunity. When it came to the good fortune her Disney movie eased into, Kealoha not only welcomed it with the optimism you saw above but also followed that up with a very important question - as you’ll read below:
I didn't know how much it was, and then my mom was like, 'Ok, you guys just hit a billion dollars. You guys have been aiming for that!' I [was] like 'Yay, so happy for Disney,' and my mom was like, 'You should be,' and I'm like 'How much is a [billion] dollars again?'
As questions surrounding Lilo & Stitch 2 are now beginning to form, and franchise co-creator Chris Sanders has started writing the follow-up, there’s going to be a lot more to consider in the near future. Maia Kealoha’s reaction to the first film’s success highlights one such query that’s about to start taking hold, as everyone is probably wondering, “Could Lilo & Stitch 2 surpass this storied success?" We'll just have to wait and see.
For those of you who haven’t caught Lilo & Stitch 2025, or for you readers who just want to revisit this reimagining yet again, you can rent or purchase the film on PVOD. Also, the physical media release is set for August 26th – in case you want to snag Stitch's Disney magic for your shelf!
