The 1977 feature wasn't one of the more beloved Disney classics of the sort the studio has been remaking lately as live-action features, from "Alice in Wonderland" to "Cinderella" to "The Jungle Book." The things about it that people did like -- the songs, the surreal blend of live-action actors and an obviously cartoon dragon -- didn't really survive into the remake. So viewers over 35 -- those old enough to remember the original film -- weren't drawn to the remake, and according to Disney polling, they made up just 27 percent of the audience.
8. Timing Matters
True, it's been six weeks since the last major family film, "The Secret Life of Pets." But kids have had more than enough talking/magical animal movies to choose from this summer, and they appear to be burned out -- as the failure last week of "Nine Lives" suggested.
Maybe "Dragon" could have succeeded earlier in the summer, or even before the summer.
Or maybe Disney realized the film was not a draw for either critter-loving kids or adult fans of the original film, and the distributor decided it had little to lose by dumping the movie into theaters during the dog days.
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