We first learned about Disney's upcoming animated adventureRaya And The Last Dragon a year ago at the Mouse House's D23 event. There have been a few changes to the cast and creative team since then, with the most prominent being Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran taking over the title role of Raya.
The film is set in the fantastical kingdom of Kumandra, home to an ancient civilization that venerated dragons for their power and their wisdom. The land's people are made up of five clans, but they're under threat since dragons are long gone and a dark, sinister force has invaded. So Raya (with Tran taking over for Cassie Steele) is a chief's daughter on a mission to find the last dragon, a creature she believes has the power to save her world. What she finds is the quirky dragon Sisu, a white, pink and teal dragon (Awkwafina) who also appears in human form.
Moana co-director Don Hall is moving into the main filmmaking chair alongside Carlos López Estrada, while the originally announced Paul Briggs is now a co-director alongside John Ripa. And on the writing front, Qui Nguyen joined Crazy Rich Asians' Adele Lim to work on the script.
Tran's casting makes her the first Southeast Asian actress to lead an animated movie at Disney, and according to López Estrada, the team knew she was the right choice from her first time in a voice booth. "I'm never going to forget it,” he tells Entertainment Weekly. “I think Don and I rode in the car together, and we were quiet, looking at each other and nodding our heads just being like, 'Yep, yep, yep. Kelly's perfect.'" For more on the film, including how it had to be worked on during the pandemic, head toEW.
Raya And The Last Dragon is scheduled to hit cinemas on both sides of the Atlantic on 12 March next year. Disney has provided a new image from the film, which you can see below.
