'Lilo & Stitch' stars reflect on film's success and are eager for a sequel
A few things have changed for the stars of "Lilo & Stitch" since the movie became the breakout hit of 2025.
For 8-year-old star Maia Kealoha, it's meant no more Doritos – she's learned she has to keep her teeth clean, especially when doing interviews.
Kealoha, Sydney Agudong and Tia Carrere have been doing lots of those, taking a victory lap with "Lilo & Stitch" at Comic-Con 2025 and promoting the film's release for digital purchase.
Another change? Kealoha says with a big grin that she's been recognized at stores "like five thousand times."
Agudong says the movie "an ode to Hawaii" and it's been really cool to "see how much the world has taken to it and how much impact 'Lilo & Stitch' really has had as just this lifelong and timeless story."
She says she's been fortunate to celebrate the film's success with family and friends and despite premieres and whirlwind interviews, she still gets to "go to the beach and have fun all over again and I'm just the same."
Kealoha and Agudong are the breakout stars of the film, which is the biggest blockbuster of 2025, earning more than $1 billion.
"Our little blue friend Stitch is now a billionaire and we couldn't be more excited about it," Carrere says excitedly.
As for a sequel, Agudong says the trio are feeling "hanna hou," a Hawaiian term for repeating or doing something again.
"Though, of course, we cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such project in this universe or the next. Sorry!" Carrere cheerfully noted.
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Nahar Net
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- Nahar Net
'Lilo & Stitch' stars reflect on film's success and are eager for a sequel
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 16:52 A few things have changed for the stars of "Lilo & Stitch" since the movie became the breakout hit of 2025. For 8-year-old star Maia Kealoha, it's meant no more Doritos – she's learned she has to keep her teeth clean, especially when doing interviews. Kealoha, Sydney Agudong and Tia Carrere have been doing lots of those, taking a victory lap with "Lilo & Stitch" at Comic-Con 2025 and promoting the film's release for digital purchase. Another change? Kealoha says with a big grin that she's been recognized at stores "like five thousand times." Agudong says the movie "an ode to Hawaii" and it's been really cool to "see how much the world has taken to it and how much impact 'Lilo & Stitch' really has had as just this lifelong and timeless story." She says she's been fortunate to celebrate the film's success with family and friends and despite premieres and whirlwind interviews, she still gets to "go to the beach and have fun all over again and I'm just the same." Kealoha and Agudong are the breakout stars of the film, which is the biggest blockbuster of 2025, earning more than $1 billion. "Our little blue friend Stitch is now a billionaire and we couldn't be more excited about it," Carrere says excitedly. As for a sequel, Agudong says the trio are feeling "hanna hou," a Hawaiian term for repeating or doing something again. "Though, of course, we cannot confirm or deny the existence of any such project in this universe or the next. Sorry!" Carrere cheerfully noted.
Nahar Net
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'Fantastic Four: First Steps' scores Marvel's first $100 million box office opening
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 14:29 Marvel's first family has finally found box office gold. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," the first film about the superheroes made under the guidance of Kevin Feige and the Walt Disney Co., earned $118 million in its first weekend in 4,125 North American theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday. That makes it the fourth biggest opening of the year, behind "A Minecraft Movie," "Lilo & Stitch" and "Superman," and the biggest Marvel opening since "Deadpool & Wolverine" grossed $211 million out of the gate last summer. Internationally, "Fantastic Four" made $100 million from 52 territories, adding up to a $218 million worldwide debut. The numbers were within the range the studio was expecting. The film arrived in the wake of another big superhero reboot, James Gunn's "Superman," which opened three weekends ago and has already crossed $500 million globally. That film, from the other main player in comic book films, DC Studios, took second place with $24.9 million domestically. The box office success of "First Steps" and "Superman" means "the whole notion of superhero fatigue, which has been talked about a lot, can I think be put to rest. I always say it's bad movie fatigue, not superhero fatigue," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for data firm Comscore. "First Steps" is the latest attempt at bringing the superhuman family to the big screen, following lackluster performances for other versions. The film, based on the original Marvel comics, is set during the 1960s in a retro-futuristic world led by the Fantastic Four, a family of astronauts-turned-superhuman from exposure to cosmic rays during a space mission. The family is made up of Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), who can stretch his body to incredible lengths; Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), who can render herself invisible; Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), who transforms into a fiery human torch; and Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who possesses tremendous superhuman strength with his stone-like flesh. The movie takes place four years after the family gained powers, during which Reed's inventions have transformed technology, and Sue's diplomacy has led to global peace. Both audiences and critics responded positively to the film, which currently has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes and promising exit poll responses from opening weekend ticket buyers. An estimated 46% of audiences chose to see it on premium screens, including IMAX and other large formats. The once towering Marvel is working to rebuild audience enthusiasm for its films and characters. Its two previous offerings this year did not reach the cosmic box office heights of "Deadpool & Wolverine," which made over $1.3 billion, or those of the "Avengers"-era. But critically, the films have been on an upswing since the poorly reviewed "Captain America: Brave New World," which ultimately grossed $415 million worldwide. "Thunderbolts," which jumpstarted the summer movie season, was better received critically but financially is capping out at just over $382 million globally. Like Deadpool and Wolverine, the Fantastic Four characters had been under the banner of 20th Century Fox for years. The studio produced two critically loathed, but decently profitable attempts in the mid-2000s with future Captain America Chris Evans as the Human Torch. In 2015, it tried again (unsuccessfully) with Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller. They got another chance after Disney's $71 billion acquisition of Fox's entertainment assets in 2019. The "Fantastic Four's" opening weekend results were a little less than some rival studio projections, Dergarabedian said. Nonetheless, the film is expected to carry movie theater earnings well into August. Holdovers dominated the top 10, but one other newcomer managed to make the chart. The dark romantic comedy "Oh, Hi!" earned $1.1 million from 866 screens. "Jurassic World Rebirth" landed in third place in its fourth weekend with $13 million, followed by "F1" with $6.2 million. The Brad Pitt racing movie also passed $500 million globally. "Smurfs" rounded out the top five with $5.4 million in its second weekend. The box office is currently up over 12% from last year. Top 10 movies by domestic box office With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore: 1. "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," $118 million. 2. "Superman," $24.9 million. 3. "Jurassic World Rebirth," $13 million. 4. "F1: The Movie," $6.2 million. 5. "Smurfs," $5.4 million. 6. "I Know What You Did Last Summer," $5.1 million. 7. "How to Train Your Dragon," $2.8 million. 8. "Eddington," $1.7 million. 9. "Saiyaara," $1.3 million. 10. "Oh, Hi!," $1.1 million.
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Lebanon bids farewell to Ziad Rahbani, a visionary artist and popular hero
by Naharnet Newsdesk 28 July 2025, 13:04 The coffin of Ziad Rahbani -- a visionary Lebanese composer, playwright, pianist and political provocateur -- arrived at noon Monday at a Bikfaya church for the funeral service, after hundreds of fans bid him farewell outside the Khoury Hospital in Beirut's Hamra area. Lebanon has not declared a day of national mourning, but First Lady Nehmat Aoun, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab and Speaker Nabih Berri's wife Randa Berri offered condolences at the church to legendary Lebanese diva Fairuz, Ziad's mother. The funeral service was being held at the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin in Bikfaya and the late artist is expected to be laid to rest around 4:00 pm. The Hamra area, where Ziad lived for decades, had witnessed a very emotional farewell earlier in the day, with fans clapping, cheering, crying, chanting songs composed by Rahbani and throwing flowers at his coffin. Son of iconic singer Fairuz and a musical pioneer in his own right, Rahbani died on Saturday aged 69 after a decades-long career that revolutionized the country's artistic scene. Tributes poured in for Rahbani, also a playwright and considered the enfant terrible of Lebanese music, who left a huge mark on multiple generations with his often satirical plays and songs that for many reflected a deep understanding of Lebanon's political and economic reality. According to Culture Minister Ghassan Salame, Rahbani needed a liver transplant but refused to undergo such an operation. Salame wrote on X that "we dreaded this day as we knew his health was worsening and that his desire for treatment was dwindling." Rebellious and visionary, Rahbani's work foreshadowed Lebanon's civil war before it erupted in 1975, and later reflected the conflict and the harsh realities of the ensuing economic crisis. His fame extended to the rest of the Arab world and beyond. One of his most famous theater pieces, "Film Ameriki Tawil", or "The American Motion Picture", was a satirical depiction of Lebanon during the civil war, set in an asylum populated with characters who represented different facets of society. President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that Rahbani was "a voice that rebelled against injustice, an honest mirror for the oppressed and marginalized." - 'Our conscience' - Rahbani was the son of Arab musical icon Fairuz, who turned 90 last year, and the late Lebanese composer Assi Rahbani, who along with his brother Mansour modernized Arab music by blending Western, Russian and Latin American sounds with Eastern rhythms. Already adored by older generations, Fairuz became a youth idol when her son began composing jazz-influenced songs for her, calling the result "Oriental jazz". While Fairuz transcended Lebanon's deep sectarian divides, her son was fiercely left-wing, secular and a supporter of the Palestinian cause -- but was also beloved by many on the opposite side of the political spectrum. He spent his life decrying the divisions that brought ruin upon the country. In 2018, he performed at Lebanon's annual Beiteddine festival with a musical showcase of his and his family's decades of work -- one of his last major onstage appearances. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said "Lebanon has lost an exceptional artist and creative, a free voice who stayed faithful to the values of justice and dignity," and who said "what many don't dare to say". Lebanese actress Carmen Lebbos, his former partner, wrote on X: "I feel like everything has gone. I feel like Lebanon has become empty." Lebanese journalist Doha Shams, who knew Rahbani for three decades, told AFP that "Ziad was our conscience, the conscience of Lebanese society, and the person who understood Lebanese society the most -- and knew where it was going".
