Movie theaters across the country were packed as Lilo & Stitch and Tom Cruise’s “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” fueled the largest Memorial Day holiday in history.

Families turned out in force for Disney’s live action “Lilo & Stitch” remake, which earned a blockbuster $145.5 million in its opening weekend and an estimated $183 million through Monday.

Those ticket sales defied projections and cemented a Memorial Day opening weekend record, overtaking a different Cruise tentpole, 2022’s “Top Gun: Maverick,” with $126 million over the weekend and $160 million through the four days. “Lilo & Stitch” also secured the second-largest start across any four-day holiday weekend, behind only 2018’s “Black Panther,” which amassed $242 million over Presidents’ Day.

Older audiences showed up to watch “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” which earned a series-best $63 million over the weekend and $77 million through Monday’s holiday.

This eighth installment narrowly beat 2018’s “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” ($61 million) to score the top debut of the franchise, which began in 1996.

Thanks to effective counterprogramming — and huge assist by holdovers like “Final Destination Bloodlines,” “Thunderbolts*” and “Sinners” — this weekend delivered the best collective Memorial Day weekend haul with $322 million across all films.

It’s been more than a decade since this many people went to the movies over the holiday frame; the prior record was established in 2013 with $314 million across all films, led by “Fast & Furious 6,” “The Hangover Part III” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.”

Memorial Day is the official launch to summer movie season, which is the most profitable stretch for the movie business.

In the past, the four-month period has accounted for $4 billion, or around 40% of the annual box office.

It’s a huge improvement from last year, which started with a whimper as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “Garfield” led the holiday’s worst showing in 3 decades with $132 million collectively.

“Lilo & Stitch” also ignited to $158.7 million at the international box office for  staggering $341.7 million global start.

Disney spent $100 million to produce and another $100 million on marketing efforts for the kid friendly adventure about a chaotic alien who crash-lands in Hawaii and gets adopted by a young girl and her older sister. Dean Fleischer Camp directed the film, which is benefiting from generation-spanning appeal a short two decades after the original 2002 animated film.

“Lilo & Stitch” ranks as one of the top debuts for Disney’s live-action remakes, behind 2019’s “The Lion King” ($191 million over three days) and 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast” ($174 million over three days).

It’s an encouraging for Disney after March’s “Snow White” remake had flatlined with $204 million globally against $250 million budget.

“Lilo & Stitch” earned more in four days than “Snow White” did in its entire box office run. It helps that “Lilo & Stitch” was embraced by moviegoers with an “A” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.

“This is a sensational opening,” says David A. Gross of consulting firm of the “Lilo & Stitch” reboot. “It’s a crowd-pleaser, and the audience score is outstanding.”

“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” added another $127 million overseas for a worldwide start of $190 million. Paramount began rolling out the film internationally a week ago and folded those grosses into this initial number. It’s a muscular start for the action epic, which requires an equally epic box office run to justify its eye-popping budget.

“The Final Reckoning” is one of the most expensive films of all time.

It cost a staggering $400 million, a figure that skyrocketed as Cruise and director Christopher McQuarrie worked through a pandemic and 2 strikes, all while grappling with inflation. So the tentpole needs to become the highest-grossing of the series — that’s currently “Fallout” with $791 million worldwide — to climb out of the red.

In distant third place, “Final Destination Bloodlines” earned a huge $19 million over the weekend and an estimated $24.5 million through Monday. The sixth installment in Warner and New Line’s long-running horror property, in which people die in increasingly insane incidents, has generated a healthy $94.6 million in North America and $187 million worldwide after just two weekends.

At No. 4, “Thunderbolts” brought in $9.5 million over the weekend and an estimated $12 million through Monday. Disney and Marvel’s comic book adventure has grossed $171 million domestically and $353 million globally after four weeks in theaters. Because theater owners get to keep half of ticket sales, “Thunderbolts” will struggle at this rate to turn a profit theatrically against its $180 million production budget.

“Sinners” rounded out the top five with $9.1 million over the weekend and an estimated $11.2 million through Monday. The Warner Bros. R-rated vampire thriller has been a box office juggernaut with $339 million globally, including $259 million domestically and $80 million internationally.

“Minecraft,” another Warner blockbuster, the PG video game adaptation slows down with a remarkable $940 million globally after 2 months of release. It’s currently the biggest Hollywood movie of the year — though “Lilo & Stitch” could be coming for its box office crown.