I was blown away when I saw Raya and the Last Dragon in theaters back in March. I thought Disney’s latest animated feature had a fantastic and empowering heroine, incredible world-building, lovable side characters, an exciting story, and what is — in my opinion — the best CGI animation to-date in a Disney film. It wasn’t perfect — the dialogue was too modern, and the story would have worked better as a TV series. But I think what it did well, it did so well, that it’s become one of my favorite films of the modern Disney era (2010-present).
But as much as I enjoyed the movie, I wonder if it will have much of a presence in the Disney parks and the Disney company as a whole. Despite getting very good reviews from critics, the movie generally has not been seen as a financial success, with box office returns of only about $120 million worldwide.
Now obviously, numerous factors were going into Raya’s financial failures. For one, the movie was released in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with minimal advertising. Disney did the bare minimum to promote this movie. The film was rather leggy at the box office in terms of having no steep week-to-week drops. But when a movie opens at only $8.5 million, that isn’t saying much. Raya and the Last Dragon also had a simultaneous release with premium access. However, since Raya was an unknown IP (unlike Black Widow) and premium access is $30, most people waited to see it on streaming until it became available for free. Throughout the summer, Raya has consistently remained within the top 10 most streamed movies. However, it’s viewership has still been significantly less than the Pixar film Luca (which was released exclusively on Disney Plus).
So what do you guys think the fate of the potential “Raya and the Last Dragon” franchise will be? Will it end up like Atlantis and Treasure Planet — beloved by a small cult following but ultimately forgotten by the average moviegoer? Or do you think it will gradually grow expand its fandom — and thus a presence within the Disney Parks — over time?
Unlike Atlantis and Treasure Planet, which both had mixed reviews, critics have mostly praised Raya. In the wake of criticism over the company’s previously negative depictions of minorities, Disney has expressed a desire to be more inclusive and diverse in the parks and their films. So it might be a good look for the company to highlight its only Southeast Asian Princess.
So what do you guys think? Will Raya become the 13th official Disney Princess and be added to that franchise? Will Raya and Sisu meet and greet opportunities take place at the parks? Could you see any theme park shows or rides based on the film being supported by the company? Is a Disney Plus spinoff possible, like the ones being done for Zootopia, Baymax and Tangled? Could Kumandra be a world in a future Kingdom Hearts video game?
Had COVID-19 not happened and Raya opened its original Thanksgiving 2020 release date, I think it could have been a box office hit. But due to the circumstances of Raya and the Last Dragon’s release, I fear that Raya and Sisu may quickly evaporate from the public consciousness.
But as much as I enjoyed the movie, I wonder if it will have much of a presence in the Disney parks and the Disney company as a whole. Despite getting very good reviews from critics, the movie generally has not been seen as a financial success, with box office returns of only about $120 million worldwide.
Now obviously, numerous factors were going into Raya’s financial failures. For one, the movie was released in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic with minimal advertising. Disney did the bare minimum to promote this movie. The film was rather leggy at the box office in terms of having no steep week-to-week drops. But when a movie opens at only $8.5 million, that isn’t saying much. Raya and the Last Dragon also had a simultaneous release with premium access. However, since Raya was an unknown IP (unlike Black Widow) and premium access is $30, most people waited to see it on streaming until it became available for free. Throughout the summer, Raya has consistently remained within the top 10 most streamed movies. However, it’s viewership has still been significantly less than the Pixar film Luca (which was released exclusively on Disney Plus).
So what do you guys think the fate of the potential “Raya and the Last Dragon” franchise will be? Will it end up like Atlantis and Treasure Planet — beloved by a small cult following but ultimately forgotten by the average moviegoer? Or do you think it will gradually grow expand its fandom — and thus a presence within the Disney Parks — over time?
Unlike Atlantis and Treasure Planet, which both had mixed reviews, critics have mostly praised Raya. In the wake of criticism over the company’s previously negative depictions of minorities, Disney has expressed a desire to be more inclusive and diverse in the parks and their films. So it might be a good look for the company to highlight its only Southeast Asian Princess.
So what do you guys think? Will Raya become the 13th official Disney Princess and be added to that franchise? Will Raya and Sisu meet and greet opportunities take place at the parks? Could you see any theme park shows or rides based on the film being supported by the company? Is a Disney Plus spinoff possible, like the ones being done for Zootopia, Baymax and Tangled? Could Kumandra be a world in a future Kingdom Hearts video game?
Had COVID-19 not happened and Raya opened its original Thanksgiving 2020 release date, I think it could have been a box office hit. But due to the circumstances of Raya and the Last Dragon’s release, I fear that Raya and Sisu may quickly evaporate from the public consciousness.
