To be crystal clear: Yes, we still encourage you to enjoy your films in Europe safety of your own home. Yet we know that there is some who plans to go to the theaters this weekend. If you happen to be heading to a Cinemark theater, there are movies you will not see: Disney’s Raya And The Last Dragon, which will be released worldwide and on Disney Plus on Friday, March 5th.
Per Deadline and EW, Cinemark Theaters announced its decision to skip the premiere on Wednesday, citing an issue with Disney’s steep license terms in a statement:
‘In the current operating environment, we make short-term discussion decisions on a discrete film-by-film basis, with the long-term benefit of exhibitors, studios and moviegoers. While talking to The Walt Disney Company, we have not yet reached pleasant license terms for Raya and the last dragon. As we continue to work with our studio partners, we remain optimistic that we will achieve mutual benefits that give moviegoers the opportunity to see the exciting film series in our theaters.
Like other theaters, Cinemark struggled to get his feet wet during the pandemic. Hybrid movies release plans by people like WarnerMedia and Most important has only made things even more complicated with shortened theater windows and changing licensing conditions – some of which may fall under the reduced budget of a theater company. If a studio refuses to move on its terms, it can lead to more decisions like this – a result that means little to a giant business like Disney, but can have a greater material impact on the ability of a theater chain. to flourish. Disney did not comment on Cinemark’s decision. But if Deadline remarks, there is still a possibility for the two parties to reach some kind of common ground within the 11th hour.
Raya And The Last Dragon star Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Daniel Dae Kim, Gemma Chan and Sandra Oh. Here is what Danette Chavez had to say in her recent movie review:
Although it was in production years before the pandemic changed everyone’s lifestyle, Raya And The Last Dragon really feels like the first Disney trailer of the COVID era. Accidentally or not, this lavish animated production resonates with the collective sadness of the world in which it is released, and invites everyone to sit with the pain, even if it indicates brighter days to come. Helmed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, along with co-directors Paul Briggs and John Ripa, the film is still a story of Disney princesses (with a nod to a Disney acquisition). But with its muted palette and the addition of Southeast Asian cultures, Raya also brings some renewal to the framework, while raising some of the questions we have all asked ourselves as infection rates and death rates rise: How did we get here? And how do we find our way out?
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