May 23, 2025 • 9 mins
This weekend at the box office, it’s all about espionage and ohana! KFI's Heather Brooker has your weekly entertainment report on the box office with KFI's Gary and Shannon! Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning drops with Tom Cruise doing things that should require at least five insurance waivers… and a priest. Plus, Disney’s beloved island girl and her blue alien bestie return in a live-action Lilo & Stitch that’s already stirring up strong nostalgia. Heather and Gary try to come up with a mash-up name for these two as they square off. Stitchpossible? Mission Lilo? Eh, maybe not.
Will Cruise dominate again? Or is Stitch ready to smash more than just Elvis records? We’ll get into the early numbers, critic buzz, and what to watch—or skip—this weekend. Don't forget to like and subscribe and leave a review for Entertain Me! And follow Heather on IG @theheatherbrooker and TikTok @heatherbrooker.
Will Cruise dominate again? Or is Stitch ready to smash more than just Elvis records? We’ll get into the early numbers, critic buzz, and what to watch—or skip—this weekend. Don't forget to like and subscribe and leave a review for Entertain Me! And follow Heather on IG @theheatherbrooker and TikTok @heatherbrooker.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Heather Brooker has joined us. She keeps her figures on
the pulse of the world of entertainment. I love to
I enjoy it so much. This is my favorite thing.
I think I've told you that before every week. Let's
talk about movies. Let's talk about movies.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Man, this is the big weekend, Memorial Day weekend. We've
got some Well, the box office is back, We've got
Mission Impossible, the Final Reckoning is opening this weekend. Lelo
and Stitch, the live action, much anticipated live action is
opening this weekend, and the pre sales and the predictions
for the box office is that both of these movies
are going to be huge.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Your daughter is twelve, twelve, just turned twelve. Yeah, so
she was probably too late for the Leelo and Stitch animated. Yes,
I'm sure she's seen it.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yes, yeah, we've seen it.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's funny because in this article that you printed out,
it says that for the live action Lelo and Stitch,
they're targeting women late teens, early twenties, that would be
they would have the most memories of the original le
Loo and Stitch, and that they're targeting men in that
same demo.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, I think gay men maybe, maybe that's maybe more
I mean, not to throw Disney out there like that,
but I think that I think that there is uh
that very much that Disney adult that they're going after
with this one. The people who are dropping hundreds, if
not thousands of dollars on Lounge Fly backpacks, and you know,
(01:20):
it's that nostalgia core that we talked about, the nostalgia baits.
They know that the people who grew up loving this
movie are absolutely going to be the ones who are
going into the theater to see the live action.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And it also helps that it's really good.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It's sweet, it's thoughtful, it's a fun story. The music
is fantastic. The little girl who plays Lelo is just darling,
and it's a it's a fun movie, and it's a
great alternative if you don't want to go see Mission Impossible.
Lelo and Stitches is great and you don't have to
have seen the first one obviously to you know, pick
up on it.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
It's just a reboot, right, I mean, it's a retailing
of the same story.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yes, it is the same story. They're just updating it
a little bit. There's nothing that's like, they're not snow
White level changing anything. You know, but it's the same
story and it's sweet and it's fun and definitely I
think worth you know, a.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Ticket at the box office.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Mission Impossible, of course comes out this is we assume
the end of Tom Cruise is at least his version
of Mission Impossible.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, I think that's pretty much.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
The understanding is that he's kind of done after this one.
You know, he's been on a massive global press tour,
shielding off questions about Trump tariffs and everything and saying,
let's just focus on this movie. He is really dedicated
to talking about this film that he spent a long
time working on. And this film is more, I want
(02:39):
to say, lighthearted. I don't know if that's really It's
not certainly on a comedy, but there's definitely more comedic
elements in this version of the Mission Impossible series than
previous ones. And it's got every action pack stump that
you can imagine, things that will blow your mind. Tom
Cruise is really in his element in these types of films.
(03:00):
And one thing that's kind of funny that's happening with
these two big movies opening this weekend is there's been
a lot of comparisons to Barbenheimer. Do you remember that
when Barbie opened the same weekend as Oppenheimer. So people
are trying to come up with the names, like so
here's once someone came up with Lilo Possible or Listians
Stitch Possible.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Maybe I was drinking a little wine when I was
coming up with these, but I was trying to figure
out Mission Stitch se Yeah, I love that. So yeah,
so these two are definitely going to go head to
head of the box office. But I have a feeling
Mission Impossible is going to edge out Lelo and Stitch.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
This is one of those expectations that you haven't seen
in the last few years, that this Memorial Day weekend
could come close to, if not set the record for
Memorial Day weekends.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
The past few Memorial Day weekends have not done well.
Do you remember they opened.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
We've had COVID.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I mean, well there's COVID, but also last year, you know,
remember they opened a Mad Max reboot and it did horribly.
And now they're bringing back these big tent pole movies.
They're realizing Memorial Day weekend is really sets the tone
for these summer blockbusters. I think the studios are recognizing
that this is what's going to motivate people to get
back into the theaters. They want these big movies, these
(04:17):
big franchises, these big ips, and these two movies are
going to set the tone I think for the rest
of the summer and the big movies coming out.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
The record according to Box office Mojo for Memorial Day
weekend was twenty thirteen, when they had Fast and Furious
six and Hangover three, which is to prove sort of
one of the things that we've said about Hollywood is
they're out of stories. They're out of story and I
mean their biggest weekend ever was a sixth version of
Fast and Furious and the third version of Hangover.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And now we've got what is this version of Mission
Impossible seven of eight eight Yeah, and then we've got
Leelo and Stitch, which we already saw twenty years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So Hollywood is out of ideas and they're risk averse.
They do not want to put a lot of money
in something that is not a known fandom, and they're
being reinforced by that because people are going to see
these big movies and they're not going to see the
smaller movies. Now, one big exception to that was Sinners
this year. That was an original story, original script, and
(05:18):
that did very well.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
But that would I think fit and mold of We
know who the producers are, right, That's a Jordan Peele movie,
so some of his stuff has been intritable. Ryan Coogler
for Sinners, he directed it, but I think Jordan Peele
produced it.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
So but those I mean, those are recognizable names, and
you think for some of these people, you go, I
would watch anything that they did.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
It's bankable, sure, I think though still they just want
to know people love Ethan Hunt. They know they're going
to get their money back on a Tom Cruise movie.
He is the biggest movie star in the world.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And he wins in the end, and he wins at
the end.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
So crazy, yeah, so crazy.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We have to talk about this because I know Keana
is going to be very happy about these Hunger Games
casting news. Kieran Colkin was just announced and el Fanning
were announced as part of the Hunger Games Sunrise on
the Reaping, and this is the fans are going crazy
over this casting news for these films. So this film
(06:21):
is based on the book of the series, but it's
a prequel to the Hunger Game series that we have
seen before. And Keana, I know you're excited.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
She's super excited.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
I literally have never seen her smile so big when
she came in. She was like, did you see who
they cast as Effie? And that's El Fanning and that
is really good casting. It's going to be a great movie.
So fans are already excited for that. Those are some
that's some incredible names.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawk, El Fanning that you mentioned, Ray
Fines coming in as President Snow sort of the early
President Snow. That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
It's going to be a really highly anticipated movie, and
I think people I know, I'm excited about it. I
really enjoyed the first Hunger Game series and the books
as well. I'm behind on reading the books now, but
Keanu was like, you got to get on it, and
this movie looks fantastic.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
And that's at least the plan is that would be released,
uh Thanksgiving twenty six, Yeah, we got plenty of time.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It's so interesting to me now how early they're starting
to promote the cast for these movies. They really start
building the high, building the hype. You know, we're already
seeing marketing now for the next Wicked movie that comes
out in six months, that be prepared over the next
six months to get a barrage of marketing and promos
for that second part of Wicked.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Studios realize they got to do the long game. When
it comes to no, you don't want to You're not
into Wicked? Was his face? The face is?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Here's the face. It's also it's a Leelo and Stitch face.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Also.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Yeah, in all honesty, I never saw the original you
my kids, hold on, relax, people, put it down.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Put the knife down.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Oh my gosh, my kids were older by the time
it came. Now, well, I guess my daughter's twenty two.
We're not that old.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I never saw it.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Were you not a Disney like guy? Disney person for
your entertainment?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I'm making the face again.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, I mean I like it, get it.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, it's not my go to And that's okay.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
We still love you.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
It comes to Wicked, like I saw the show, saw
the show twice here at the Pantagious. It's great, it's
a great show. Why are you gonna drag it out
for two full movies?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Because it's a huge play, Like it's a huge book,
huge musical. They had they couldn't tell the full story.
We'd be in the theater for four hours, and nobody
wants that. So that's why they split it up.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
And also to.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Make more money.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I watched Oppenheimer.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
That felt like four hours.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
It was four hours.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
That was the longest movie ever ever.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
All Right, so you say, Leylo and Stitch is great,
Leylan and.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Stitch is great.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
People are gonna love it. Mission Impossible also great. You
cannot go wrong with Mission Stitch Possible. This weekend, Leelo Possible,
whatever you want to call it. Either one, go see both,
go see both, or go see Kendrick Lamar. He is
playing in Sofi Stadium for the next two nights as well.
I got you, I got you covered all your entertainment options.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Thank you, Heather. You're welcome to the Brooker from KFI
News
Heather Brooker has joined us. She keeps her figures on
the pulse of the world of entertainment. I love to
I enjoy it so much. This is my favorite thing.
I think I've told you that before every week. Let's
talk about movies. Let's talk about movies.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Man, this is the big weekend, Memorial Day weekend. We've
got some Well, the box office is back, We've got
Mission Impossible, the Final Reckoning is opening this weekend. Lelo
and Stitch, the live action, much anticipated live action is
opening this weekend, and the pre sales and the predictions
for the box office is that both of these movies
are going to be huge.
Speaker 1 (00:32):
Your daughter is twelve, twelve, just turned twelve. Yeah, so
she was probably too late for the Leelo and Stitch animated. Yes,
I'm sure she's seen it.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yes, yeah, we've seen it.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
It's funny because in this article that you printed out,
it says that for the live action Lelo and Stitch,
they're targeting women late teens, early twenties, that would be
they would have the most memories of the original le
Loo and Stitch, and that they're targeting men in that
same demo.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Yeah, I think gay men maybe, maybe that's maybe more
I mean, not to throw Disney out there like that,
but I think that I think that there is uh
that very much that Disney adult that they're going after
with this one. The people who are dropping hundreds, if
not thousands of dollars on Lounge Fly backpacks, and you know,
(01:20):
it's that nostalgia core that we talked about, the nostalgia baits.
They know that the people who grew up loving this
movie are absolutely going to be the ones who are
going into the theater to see the live action.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
And it also helps that it's really good.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
It's sweet, it's thoughtful, it's a fun story. The music
is fantastic. The little girl who plays Lelo is just darling,
and it's a it's a fun movie, and it's a
great alternative if you don't want to go see Mission Impossible.
Lelo and Stitches is great and you don't have to
have seen the first one obviously to you know, pick
up on it.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
It's just a reboot, right, I mean, it's a retailing
of the same story.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yes, it is the same story. They're just updating it
a little bit. There's nothing that's like, they're not snow
White level changing anything. You know, but it's the same
story and it's sweet and it's fun and definitely I
think worth you know, a.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Ticket at the box office.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Mission Impossible, of course comes out this is we assume
the end of Tom Cruise is at least his version
of Mission Impossible.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Yeah, I think that's pretty much.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
The understanding is that he's kind of done after this one.
You know, he's been on a massive global press tour,
shielding off questions about Trump tariffs and everything and saying,
let's just focus on this movie. He is really dedicated
to talking about this film that he spent a long
time working on. And this film is more, I want
(02:39):
to say, lighthearted. I don't know if that's really It's
not certainly on a comedy, but there's definitely more comedic
elements in this version of the Mission Impossible series than
previous ones. And it's got every action pack stump that
you can imagine, things that will blow your mind. Tom
Cruise is really in his element in these types of films.
(03:00):
And one thing that's kind of funny that's happening with
these two big movies opening this weekend is there's been
a lot of comparisons to Barbenheimer. Do you remember that
when Barbie opened the same weekend as Oppenheimer. So people
are trying to come up with the names, like so
here's once someone came up with Lilo Possible or Listians
Stitch Possible.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Maybe I was drinking a little wine when I was
coming up with these, but I was trying to figure
out Mission Stitch se Yeah, I love that. So yeah,
so these two are definitely going to go head to
head of the box office. But I have a feeling
Mission Impossible is going to edge out Lelo and Stitch.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
This is one of those expectations that you haven't seen
in the last few years, that this Memorial Day weekend
could come close to, if not set the record for
Memorial Day weekends.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
The past few Memorial Day weekends have not done well.
Do you remember they opened.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
We've had COVID.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I mean, well there's COVID, but also last year, you know,
remember they opened a Mad Max reboot and it did horribly.
And now they're bringing back these big tent pole movies.
They're realizing Memorial Day weekend is really sets the tone
for these summer blockbusters. I think the studios are recognizing
that this is what's going to motivate people to get
back into the theaters. They want these big movies, these
(04:17):
big franchises, these big ips, and these two movies are
going to set the tone I think for the rest
of the summer and the big movies coming out.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
The record according to Box office Mojo for Memorial Day
weekend was twenty thirteen, when they had Fast and Furious
six and Hangover three, which is to prove sort of
one of the things that we've said about Hollywood is
they're out of stories. They're out of story and I
mean their biggest weekend ever was a sixth version of
Fast and Furious and the third version of Hangover.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
And now we've got what is this version of Mission
Impossible seven of eight eight Yeah, and then we've got
Leelo and Stitch, which we already saw twenty years ago.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Right.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
So Hollywood is out of ideas and they're risk averse.
They do not want to put a lot of money
in something that is not a known fandom, and they're
being reinforced by that because people are going to see
these big movies and they're not going to see the
smaller movies. Now, one big exception to that was Sinners
this year. That was an original story, original script, and
(05:18):
that did very well.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
But that would I think fit and mold of We
know who the producers are, right, That's a Jordan Peele movie,
so some of his stuff has been intritable. Ryan Coogler
for Sinners, he directed it, but I think Jordan Peele
produced it.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
So but those I mean, those are recognizable names, and
you think for some of these people, you go, I
would watch anything that they did.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
It's bankable, sure, I think though still they just want
to know people love Ethan Hunt. They know they're going
to get their money back on a Tom Cruise movie.
He is the biggest movie star in the world.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And he wins in the end, and he wins at
the end.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
So crazy, yeah, so crazy.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
We have to talk about this because I know Keana
is going to be very happy about these Hunger Games
casting news. Kieran Colkin was just announced and el Fanning
were announced as part of the Hunger Games Sunrise on
the Reaping, and this is the fans are going crazy
over this casting news for these films. So this film
(06:21):
is based on the book of the series, but it's
a prequel to the Hunger Game series that we have
seen before. And Keana, I know you're excited.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
She's super excited.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
I literally have never seen her smile so big when
she came in. She was like, did you see who
they cast as Effie? And that's El Fanning and that
is really good casting. It's going to be a great movie.
So fans are already excited for that. Those are some
that's some incredible names.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Jesse Plemons, Maya Hawk, El Fanning that you mentioned, Ray
Fines coming in as President Snow sort of the early
President Snow. That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
It's going to be a really highly anticipated movie, and
I think people I know, I'm excited about it. I
really enjoyed the first Hunger Game series and the books
as well. I'm behind on reading the books now, but
Keanu was like, you got to get on it, and
this movie looks fantastic.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
And that's at least the plan is that would be released,
uh Thanksgiving twenty six, Yeah, we got plenty of time.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
It's so interesting to me now how early they're starting
to promote the cast for these movies. They really start
building the high, building the hype. You know, we're already
seeing marketing now for the next Wicked movie that comes
out in six months, that be prepared over the next
six months to get a barrage of marketing and promos
for that second part of Wicked.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Studios realize they got to do the long game. When
it comes to no, you don't want to You're not
into Wicked? Was his face? The face is?
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Here's the face. It's also it's a Leelo and Stitch face.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Also.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Yeah, in all honesty, I never saw the original you
my kids, hold on, relax, people, put it down.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Put the knife down.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Oh my gosh, my kids were older by the time
it came. Now, well, I guess my daughter's twenty two.
We're not that old.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I never saw it.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Were you not a Disney like guy? Disney person for
your entertainment?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
I'm making the face again.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
Yeah, I mean I like it, get it.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah, it's not my go to And that's okay.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
We still love you.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
It comes to Wicked, like I saw the show, saw
the show twice here at the Pantagious. It's great, it's
a great show. Why are you gonna drag it out
for two full movies?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Because it's a huge play, Like it's a huge book,
huge musical. They had they couldn't tell the full story.
We'd be in the theater for four hours, and nobody
wants that. So that's why they split it up.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
And also to.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Make more money.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I watched Oppenheimer.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
That felt like four hours.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
It was four hours.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
That was the longest movie ever ever.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
All Right, so you say, Leylo and Stitch is great,
Leylan and.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Stitch is great.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
People are gonna love it. Mission Impossible also great. You
cannot go wrong with Mission Stitch Possible. This weekend, Leelo Possible,
whatever you want to call it. Either one, go see both,
go see both, or go see Kendrick Lamar. He is
playing in Sofi Stadium for the next two nights as well.
I got you, I got you covered all your entertainment options.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
Thank you, Heather. You're welcome to the Brooker from KFI
News
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
True Crime Tonight
If you eat, sleep, and breathe true crime, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT is serving up your nightly fix. Five nights a week, KT STUDIOS & iHEART RADIO invite listeners to pull up a seat for an unfiltered look at the biggest cases making headlines, celebrity scandals, and the trials everyone is watching. With a mix of expert analysis, hot takes, and listener call-ins, TRUE CRIME TONIGHT goes beyond the headlines to uncover the twists, turns, and unanswered questions that keep us all obsessed—because, at TRUE CRIME TONIGHT, there’s a seat for everyone. Whether breaking down crime scene forensics, scrutinizing serial killers, or debating the most binge-worthy true crime docs, True Crime Tonight is the fresh, fast-paced, and slightly addictive home for true crime lovers.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com