Disney’s latest animated film, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” is a celebration of Southeast Asian cultures. Set in the fictional land of Kumandra, the movie follows the adventure of Raya as she embarks on a quest to find the last dragon and save her kingdom from an ancient evil force. The film features a diverse cast of characters inspired by various Southeast Asian countries, and showcases their unique customs, traditions, and folklore. Disney worked closely with Southeast Asian cultural consultants to ensure authenticity and pay homage to the region’s rich heritage. “Raya and the Last Dragon” aims to provide representation and bring Southeast Asian cultures to a global audience..
Disney just released the official teaser for Raya and the Last Dragon, which is seriously giving us Legend of Korra vibes.
What’s It About?
Raya and the Last Dragon will be set in a fictional land called Kumandra, which is comprised of five distinct clans. Raya is a daughter of a powerful chief, a warrior that is capable of fighting for herself and others. When the evil force of the villainous Druun threatens the peace of their land, Raya and her sidekick Tuk Tuk leave home in search of the last dragon to save them all.
To ensure they are doing justice to the cultures that inspire this film, Disney set up a Southeast Asia Story Trust (they previously set up the Oceanic Story Trust when they did Moana). They have also sent their creative teams to various Southeast Asian countries for research, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and more.
Who’s Involved?
When the film was first announced at the D23 Expo in 2019, Filipino-Canadian actress Cassie Steele was to play the titular character Raya. However, this has changed, with Kelly Marie Tran now taking over the role. She is joined by Awkwafina, who will voice the water dragon Sisu.
Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada are the directors, while playwright Qui Nguyen is joining Adele Lim (she wrote the script for Crazy Rich Asians) as co-writer. Paul Briggs and John Ripa are co-directors of the film.
Raya and the Last Dragon will be released in theatres March 12, 2021. This release date has been left out of the teaser though, so this might be subject to change depending on the COVID-19 situation at that point.
READ NEXT: 10 Best Fathers in Disney and Pixar Movies
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
Disney has released a teaser for their upcoming film, Raya and the Last Dragon. The film is set in a fictional land called Kumandra and follows the story of Raya, a warrior who embarks on a journey to find the last dragon and save her land from an evil force. To ensure cultural accuracy, Disney has set up a Southeast Asia Story Trust and sent their creative teams to various Southeast Asian countries for research. The film features Kelly Marie Tran as the voice of Raya and Awkwafina as the water dragon Sisu. Raya and the Last Dragon is set to be released on March 12, 2021.
Hashtags: #Disney #Focuses #Southeast #Asian #Cultures #Raya #Dragon
Leave a Reply