Raya and the Last Dragon – An Aloof Box Office Debut?

^{Despite the still very compromised health situation, the Disney giant cannot stop. Along with “Wandavision”, the other most anticipated audio-visual product was the new Disney classic. “Raya and the last dragon” has to try to gain the audience’s favor through two streets. The first is through the Disney+ platform. In fact, “Raya and the last dragon” is available only with Disney+ VIP access, at the cost of 30 dollars. Instead, the other street is through cinema. Of course, just a few theatres are open, in America and in the rest of the world, and yet there is a small slice. There can be a profit from there too.}

^{Box Office data and considerations}

^{“Raya and the last dragon” debuted with $8.6 million at the American box office in 2045 theatres. Counting the other 32 territories in which it has been shown, the film raised $26.2 million in the first weekend. The cinema debut was rather disappointing compared to “Tom and Jerry” with €14.1 million earned last week (-41%).}

^{The main causes of these featureless results maybe two. The first may lie in its purely female target putting aside the male audience. Instead, the second cause seems more decisive and feasible to us. The fact that important cinema chains have decided not to show“Raya and the last dragon”. Some of them are Cinemark, Harkins, and the Canadian Cineplex due to the stalemate of negotiations on the film’s licensing terms. Despite these quite discouraging data, it turned out to be the champion of the box office at this time.}

^Synopsis

^{Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, the film draws inspiration from Southeast Asia cultures and people. A long time ago, humans and dragons used to live together harmoniously. When an evil force threatened their land, dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. 500 years later, the evil force is back and Raya, a lone warrior, has to find the last legendary dragon to reunite her divided people.}

^{Critics’ opinion}

^{Generally, the critics have been unanimous and the average rating (76/100 on Metacritic) comes from reviews broadly similar. They liked both the animation and the story, with a good sense of rhythm and high enjoyment. Important magazines such as The Wrap, Empire Magazine, Indiewire, USA Today, and Variety have all promoted the film. You cannot miss the opportunity to discover Raya’s magical journey. Predictions bode well that you will not be disappointed by the experience of Raya and the last dragon.}