AAPT2 fails to merge release resources with empty project created by Android Studio 4.1.2

Inizia riproducendo la build di release del progetto Android Studio con un’Activity vuota e analizza l’errore :app:mergeReleaseResources per i file delle icone indicati in app/src/main/res/mipmap-xxhdpi e mipmap-xxxhdpi. Confronta il comportamento di release e debug e controlla il file package.json o l’output di tns info. L’attività è completata quando il progetto vuoto esegue la build e può produrre un APK di release firmato.

Environment
Provide version numbers for the following components (information can be retrieved by running tns info in your project folder or by inspecting the package.json of the project):

• CLI:
  Android Studio 4.1.2
  Build #AI-201.8743.12.41.7042882, built on December 19, 2020
  Runtime version: 1.8.0_242-release-1644-b3-6222593 amd64
  VM: OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM by JetBrains s.r.o
  Linux 4.19.0-12-amd64
  GC: ParNew, ConcurrentMarkSweep
  Memory: 733M
  Cores: 2
  Registry: ide.new.welcome.screen.force=true, external.system.auto.import.disabled=true
  Non-Bundled Plugins: org.jetbrains.kotlin
  Current Desktop: MATE
  uname output:
  Linux thrash 4.19.0-12-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 4.19.152-1 (2020-10-18) x86_64 GNU/Linux

• Cross-platform modules:

• Android Runtime:
  affects all runtimes (using 28)

• iOS Runtime (if applicable):

• Plugin(s):
  (default)

Describe the bug
AAPT2 fails to merge release results on an empty project created by Android Studio. Debug appears to work ok.

To Reproduce

1. create a new project using an empty Activity
2. Attempt to build a release version

Expected behavior
Should build properly, and allow me to sign the APK.

Sample project

Additional context

Running Devuan Linux (amd64)
(from dmesg)
Linux version 4.19.0-12-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc version 8.3.0 (Debian 8.3.0-6)) #1 SMP Debian 4.19.152-1 (2020-10-18)
CPU0: AMD Athlon(tm) Dual Core Processor 4450e (family: 0xf, model: 0x6b, stepping: 0x2)
Memory: 3816144K/4061672K available (10252K kernel code, 1247K rwdata, 3312K rodata, 1596K init, 2264K bss, 245528K reserved, 0K cma-reserved)

Execution failed for task ':app:mergeReleaseResources'.

Multiple task action failures occurred:
A failure occurred while executing com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.Workers$ActionFacade
> AAPT2 aapt2-4.1.2-6503028-linux Daemon #0: Unexpected error during compile '/home/bobf/AndroidStudioProjects//app/src/main/res/mipmap-xxhdpi/ic_launcher_round.png', attempting to stop daemon.
This should not happen under normal circumstances, please file an issue if it does.
A failure occurred while executing com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.Workers$ActionFacade
> AAPT2 aapt2-4.1.2-6503028-linux Daemon #1: Unexpected error during compile '/home/bobf/AndroidStudioProjects//app/src/main/res/mipmap-xxxhdpi/ic_launcher_round.png', attempting to stop daemon.
This should not happen under normal circumstances, please file an issue if it does.
A failure occurred while executing com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.Workers$ActionFacade
> AAPT2 aapt2-4.1.2-6503028-linux Daemon #3: Unexpected error during compile '/home/bobf/AndroidStudioProjects//app/src/main/res/mipmap-xxhdpi/ic_launcher.png', attempting to stop daemon.
This should not happen under normal circumstances, please file an issue if it does.
A failure occurred while executing com.android.build.gradle.internal.tasks.Workers$ActionFacade
> AAPT2 aapt2-4.1.2-6503028-linux Daemon #2: Unexpected error during compile '/home/bobf/AndroidStudioProjects//app/src/main/res/mipmap-xxxhdpi/ic_launcher.png', attempting to stop daemon.
This should not happen under normal circumstances, please file an issue if it does.

I updated everything as of 3/16/2021. No changes in behavior. Was unable to import projects that were built successfully with earlier versions of Android Studio.

Seems similar to #1394, which has been closed.
All of the icons are defaults created along with the project. I merely created an empty project and attempted to build a release version of it. Normally you would expect this to work, but it's failing with the SAME errors I get when I attempt to build an existing project that built properly with an OLDER version of Android Studio.