Maya the Bee was released theatrically on 4 September 2014. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but grossed $29.6 million worldwide.[6] Two sequels to Maya the Bee were released; The Honey Games in 2018 and The Golden Orb in 2021.
Summary
Freshly hatched bee Maya is a little whirlwind and simply won't follow the rules of the hive. One of the rules, of course, she is not allowed to trust the other bugs, especially the hornets, that live beyond a camp in the meadow. But cute sweet little Maya can't help but make friends with all kinds of other bugs, including a violin-playing grasshopper, a dung beetle and even a young hornet named Sting, who has a hatred of bees.
Animation World Network announced in May 2013 that Universum Film would distribute all German rights of the film.[9] The film is directed by Alexs Stadermann, and produced by Patrick Elmendorff and Thorsten Wegener from Studio 100 Animation in Munich; Jim Ballantine and Barbara Stephen from Buzz Studios in Sydney.[10][4] The film was produced in association with Flying Bark Productions and the channel ZDF.[11][12] This film was Coco Jack Gillies' film debut, voicing the role of Maya. Gillies was 9 years old at the time of production.[4][8]
Reception
Maya the Bee received mixed reviews from critics, scoring a 47% in Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 5.59/10 from seventeen reviews.[6] Frank Hatherley from Screen Daily stated that "this merry movie is for young children, mainly girls (Note that this is an educated opinion): step aside, Dora the Explorer!" with vivid colours and plenty of unthreatening action.[4]
