To be very clear: yes, we still encourage you to enjoy your films in the security of your own home. Still, we know that there are some who plan to go to theaters this weekend. If you happen to be going to a cinema affiliated with Cinemark, there is a movie you won’t see: Disney’s Raya and the last dragon, which will be released worldwide and on Disney Plus Friday, March 5.
Per Deadline and EW, Cinemark cinemas announced their decision to skip the debut on Wednesday, citing an issue with Disney’s licensing terms in a statement:
“In the current operating environment, we are making short-term booking decisions on a discreet, film-by-film basis, with a focus on the long-term benefit of exhibitors, studios and film buffs. While we are talking to The Walt Disney Company, we have not yet reached acceptable licensing terms for Raya and the Last Dragon. As we continue to work with our studio partners, we remain optimistic that we will come up with mutually beneficial terms that will give viewers the opportunity to see the exciting film programming in our cinemas. “
Like other cinemas, Cinemark has struggled to regain balance during the pandemic. Hybrid film launch plans by likes of WarnerMedia and Paramount they further complicated things with shortened theater windows and changing licensing terms – some of which may come out of a theater company’s reduced budget. If a studio refuses to budge on its terms, it could lead to more decisions like that – a consequence that means little to a gigantic company like Disney, but can have a greater material impact on a theater chain’s ability to thrive. Disney did not comment on Cinemark’s decision. But how Deadline notes, there is still a possibility for both parties to reach some kind of common ground in the 11th hour.
Raya and the last dragon Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, stars Daniel Dae Kim, Gemma Chan and Sandra Oh. Here’s what Danette Chavez had to say in his recent film review:
Although it was already in production years before the pandemic changed everyone’s way of life, Raya And The Last Dragon really looks like the first Disney blockbuster of the COVID era. Accidentally or not, this lavish animation production resonates with the collective sadness of the world in which it is being launched, inviting everyone to sit down with this pain, even when it suggests better days to come. Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, along with co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa, the film is still very much a Disney princess story (with nods to a Disney takeover). But with her silent reed and infusion of Southeast Asian cultures, Raya also brings some innovations to this structure, while raising some of the questions that we all ask ourselves as the rates of infection and mortality have increased: How did we get here? And how do we find our way out?
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