Release: Danya

 

Danya

Genre: Adventure/Comedy/Animation

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky

Writer: Jacob Jones

Voice Cast: Meg Donnelly, Eddie Murphy, Abi Monterey, Nick Offerman, Sarah Silverman, Riz Ahmed, Ruth Codd, Ginnifer Goodwin

Budget: $60,000,000

Domestic Box Office: $18,393,156

Foreign Box Office: $31,185,289

Total Profit: -$62,070,200

Reaction: Like many adult-oriented animated efforts before it, this film failed to connect with audiences both domestically and internationally, resulting in significant financial losses. It raises the question of whether there is truly a viable theatrical market for mature animation without the backing of an established IP or clear genre hook.

"First of all I must say that Danya is a very chaotic movie. Frequent collaborators director Genndy Tartakovsky and writer Jacob Jones threw together a lot of wild ideas that don't feel like they would work well together, but somehow they do. At least for me it does, for most of the time. The absurdity of some of the moments in this movies can be off putting for some of the viewers and it’s definitely not a movie for everyone. That said, I think everybody can agree on the fact that this movie is incredibly original and I think we have to applaud that. It will be interesting to see how well the movie does at the box office, especially as an animation movie not aimed at kids." - Charles Yost, Oregonian

"Danya is chaotic, but also kind of great because of it. Genndy Tartakovsky and Jacob Jones don't play it safe, giving us an animated odyssey full of wild partying, insane bear chases, and a soul-harvesting Eddie Murphy. It's definitely not for little kids, but that’s part of the fun: it feels punk-rock compared to most safe animated fare. Meg Donnelly slays as the hot mess heroine who actually grows a heart, and the musical moments (especially Murphy's big number) are hilarious and weirdly moving. It's messy, but gloriously so." - Casey Wren, CineSlam.com

"With its vivid animation and occasional flashes of wit, Danya had the potential to be a charming morality tale for a broad audience. Instead, Genndy Tartakovsky’s film strays too far into indulgence, stuffing itself with endless scenes of drinking, partying, and sexualized humor that feel jarring in an animated feature. Saddled with content that will likely alienate the very families it might have appealed to, Danya struggles to find its true audience. While Eddie Murphy and Meg Donnelly are game, the script’s uneven tone — veering between slapstick absurdity and darker spiritual stakes — leaves Danya feeling bloated, confused, and ultimately disappointing." - Margaret Sheffield, The Chicago Tribune

Rated PG-13 for sequences of drinking and partying, crude humor, suggestive material, some animated violence, and thematic elements