‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Review: Disney Woos Teens With Asian-Themed Toon

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDisney’s animated adventure “Raya and the Last Dragon” led the domestic box office in its third weekend, illustrating the appeal of family films as Hollywood attempts to mount a moviegoing revival.“Raya and the Last Dragon” collected $5.2 million from 2,261 theaters through Sunday, representing a scant 5% decline. Disney can thank the reopening of Los Angeles movie theaters for the stellar hold in ticket sales.

Despite a weaker-than-expected opening, Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” is showing great endurance at the box office, adding another $5.2 million from 2,261 locations in its third weekend as theaters in Los Angeles reopen to continue the film industry’s gradual recovery.Through three weekends, the animated Disney film has taken in $23.4 million in North America and $71.2 million worldwide even as it has released as a premium on-demand title on Disney+.

Disney's family film Raya and the Last Dragon stayed atop the domestic box office chart in its second weekend with $55 million. The good news: the computer-animated film fell only 35 percent, while roughly half of indoor theaters in North America are now open.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDisney’s animated adventure “Raya and the Last Dragon” remained victorious at the domestic box office, collecting $5.5 million from 2,163 venues over the weekend.Those ticket sales, representing a 35% decline in its second weekend of release, push its overall total to $15.8 million domestically. “Raya and the Last Dragon” has generated another $36 million at the international box office for a global haul of $52.6 million.

This weekend’s top 5 at the box office remained the same as last weekend’s, with Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” staying No. 1 with $5.4 million from 2,163 locations in its second weekend and a 10-day domestic total of $15.8 million and $52.6 million globally.

Saturday AM Update: There’s lots of good news ahead at the box office, but we’re not quite there yet.

Hollywood filmmaking is off to a sorry start in 2021 in China's huge theatrical market. Following the fourth-place debut of Warner Bros.' Tom and Jerry a week ago, Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon opened in third place over the weekend, taking in just $8.4 million.

Raya and the Last Dragon had no trouble topping the weekend box office, but couldn't match other studio family films that have played during the pandemic and despite movie theaters finally opening in New York City. The Disney film, which earned glowing glowing reviews and an A CinemaScore, took in an estimated $8.6 million in its North American debut, compared to $14.1 million a week earlier for Warner Bros.' Tom & Jerry.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefA notable launch for “Minari” lifted the South Korea box office to its second highest weekend of 2021. The Korean-language American-made drama performed 80% higher than the weekend’s other significant new release Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon.”Opening in first place, “Minari” clocked up $1.68 million over the weekend, according to data from the Korean Film Council’s KOBIS box office tracking service.

Rebecca Davis editorDespite its emphasis on Asian representation and Southeast Asian themes, Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” failed to soar in China, coming in third with just $8.4 million, according to Maoyan data.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor“Crazy Rich Asians” screenwriter Adele Lim never thought in her wildest dreams that she would be part of a Disney animated feature, let alone one that is set in Southeast Asia.But Disney’s newest tale, “Raya and the Last Dragon” (now streaming on Disney Plus), delivers its first Southeast Asian princess, Raya, a warrior who sets out across the mythical realm of Kumandra as she seeks out the last dragon.Lim, who is of Malaysian descent, says: “To be a part of this

The new animated film Raya and the Last Dragon is out now and we’re taking a moment to introduce you to the talented voice cast!

EXCLUSIVE: Today, Disney rolls out Raya and the Last Dragon, what is arguably its first domestic theatrical hybrid release; second worldwide if you count Mulan. The animated movie which is booked at 2,045 theaters, sans roughly 250 Cinemark locations, but including the newly reopened New York City market, is on its way to grossing a notable $3M today and between $9M-$10M domestic this weekend per industry estimates and that’s with an availability on Disney+ for the extra price of $30.

In Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, the titular character is strong, resilient, clever, has a strong bond to her community of the world of Kumandra and, above all, hopeful. That said, it’s no wonder that Kelly Marie Tran was chosen to voice the titular heroine. The Vietnamese-American actress emits those qualities and then some.

Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon.”Hollywood loves a scaly scamp. There’s “Game of Thrones,” “Dragonheart,” “Pete’s Dragon,” the much better 2016 remake of “Pete’s Dragon” and the gold standard of fire-breathers, “How To Train Your Dragon,” one of the best CGI family films ever made.There’s something so whimsical about a pet that can destroy all your enemies without lifting a claw.“Raya,” which has a lot going for it, is not as emotionally involving as any of those other  films or TV shows.

, sets up certain expectations: You know that the main character will be Raya, the warrior princess voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, and that you'd better meet a dragon sooner or later.Though the project had been in the works at Disney for six or so years, when 's core team — directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, writers Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen and producer Osnat Shurer — came onboard in the past couple years, even those components were still in flux.«This idea of creating a fantasy world