Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon makes $8.6 mn over opening weekend in North America

Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney’s latest animated feature, made a box office debut of $8.6 million across 2,045 North American theatres. However, the film failed to cross the opening weekend earnings of Tom & Jerry, which made $14.1 million last weekend. Raya and the Last Dragon has also been made available for streaming on Disney+ for a $30 rental fee, enacting the same release strategy as Mulan. In China the film earned $26 million, while Russia contributed $8.4 million and $2.8 million, respectively, writes  Variety. The first Southeast Asian-centred film from Disney, Raya and the Last Dragon also features Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, and Gemma Chan as the voice cast. The film travels to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. Along the way, she learns that it will not only take a dragon to save the world but also trust and teamwork. Raya and the Last Dragon is directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) along with Paul Briggs and John Ripa co-directing it. Produced by Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho, it is written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim of Crazy Rich Asians fame.