Disney Announces New Film Raya And The Last Dragon
The Disney family is getting bigger.
At the Walt Disney Studios presentation during this year's D23 Expo, the House of Mouse announced that its newest animated film will be Raya and the Last Dragon.
Disney Animation representatives took the stage to announce cast information, unveil concept art, and reveal the film's official logo.
Raya and the Last Dragon features the voice of Cassandra Steele, whom fans have heard as Tammy Gueterman and Tricia on Rick and Morty, as Raya — a "five-star bad-ass" and lone warrior determined to save her world by locating the last dragon. It won't be an easy feat, as all dragons have disappeared from the fantasy kingdom of Kumandra, which is in desperate need of unity and light now that a dark force has taken over.
Crazy Rich Asians actress Awkwafina, who is set to appear in Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Disney's live-action The Little Mermaid, will lend her voice to Sisu, the last dragon Raya is searching for... who is also a human, according to the actress herself.
Big Hero 6 and Frozen duo Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins co-direct Raya and the Last Dragon, working from a script penned by Crazy Rich Asians scribe Adele Lim. Moana's Osnat Shurer produces.
Disney also pulled the curtain back on some footage from Raya and the Last Dragon during D23, but it sadly isn't available to watch online yet. We do, however, have some intel on what was shown. In its visual style, the film pulls inspiration from traditional art from Southeast Asian countries, and will bring our "childhood fantasies to life." And in its narrative, Raya and the Last Dragon will explore the fine line between hope and destruction. As a voice says in the Raya and the Last Dragon footage, "Our world was created by dragons, before they left they hid a gift for the people. A powerful but dangerous gift. One that could save an entire kingdom or bring it to an end. The question is, what will we find? Hope, or destruction?" (via Deadline).
Raya and the Last Dragon marks a pivotal point in Disney's legacy, as it offers representation for Asian fans and touches on incredibly important themes to which everyone can relate. As Lim said on stage (via Entertainment Weekly), "At its heart, our movie is about the transformative power of community and having hope even in the face of overwhelming darkness."
Mark your calendars for Raya and the Last Dragon to arrive in theaters on November 25, 2020.
Jesse Grant/Getty Images
Jesse Grant/Getty Images