‘Dragon’ its way to top of the box office

“Raya and the Last Dragon” glided to the top of the box office in what was the biggest moviegoing weekend in North America in nearly a year.

The animated Disney film grossed an estimated $8.6 million domestically between March 5-7, leading all films during the first weekend that theaters have been open in New York City in more than 11 months.

Featuring a voice cast that includes Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina, the family-friendly “Raya” came out March 5 both in theaters and on the Disney+ streaming service under the premier access tag for $29.99.

“Raya” (inset),which is the first Disney movie to get a simultaneous release, played at

2,045 cinemas in

North America.

Finishing second during that same threeday stretch was “Tom & Jerry,” which made $6.6 million in what was the film’s second weekend in theaters.

“Tom & Jerry,” which came out Feb. 26, grossed nearly $14 million in its first weekend, giving it the biggest debut of any movie in 2021 so far. It’s also simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.

Overall, the North American box office grossed an estimated $25 million this past weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which is the highest total since domestic theaters made $54.8 million in mid-March 2020.

Theaters throughout the United States were temporarily shuttered by late March 2020 in response to the coronavirus crisis and have gradually reopened in some cities in the months since.

Last Friday marked the first time cinemas in the five boroughs were allowed to be open. They are currently operating at 25% maximum capacity.

The movie schedule remains in flux during the pandemic, with “F9” recently pushing its release back by a month to June 25, and “Minions: The Rise of Gru” moving from this summer to July 2022.

The horror flick “A Quiet Place Part II” is one of several films to recently move its release date up.

It will now open May 28 after previously being slated for September.

“Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Tom & Jerry” are the latest family films to experience box office success during the pandemic.

“The Croods: A New Age” has grossed more than $50 million since its release last November.