Tom Cruise comes runner-up to Lilo & Stitch at box office

Disney's Lilo & Stitch is breaking records at the box office.

The live-action movie has scuttled Tom Cruise's much-anticipated Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning into second place in the two films' opening weekend.

Two months after Disney's other recent live-action release Snow White misfired, the studio's version of Lilo & Stitch is making up for the disappointment with a massive US Memorial Day weekend box office.

Based on the 2002 animated feature film hit of the same name, Deadline is projecting a record-breaking four-day holiday weekend opening of $180 million ($133 million) for Lilo & Stitch, in North America.

The film is smashing its pre-release projections, despite going head-to-head against Cruise's big-budget action-espionage movie, which is opening to a franchise-best $77 million (£57 million), the outlet reported.

Disney's Snow White - which starred Rachel Zegler in the title role and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen - had no real competition when it opened in cinemas on March 21, yet still earned a pallid $42.2 million (£31 million).

Lilo & Stitch stars Maia Kealoha in her film debut as Lilo Pelekai, with original Lilo & Stitch writer-director Chris Sanders reprising his voice role as Stitch.

It also stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham, Courtney B Vance and Zach Galifianakis.