(Photo: Disney)
Disney to create first Southeast Asian animation movie
Filmmakers behind the successful “Big Hero 6,” “Winnie the Pooh,” and “Moana” films are working on a new project inspired by Southeast Asian culture. “Raya and the Last Dragon” will be produced by Disney Animation Studios, and Kelly Marie Tran will voice the main character in the animated adventure.
Set in a fictional fantasy land called Kumandra, “Raya and the Last Dragon” follows a fearless female warrior as she seeks to save the world from evil forces. Joining the cast is Awkwafina who will voice a character named Sisu, a rare water dragon who can transform into a human being. The film was written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim, and Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada are directing.
Tran rose to fame after starring in 2017’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” as rebel mechanic Rose Tico. She reprised her role in 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” the final chapter in the nine-part Skywalker saga.
“Raya and the Dragon” marks many firsts for Disney Animation Studios—Tran’s casting makes her the first Southeast Asian American to lead a Disney animated film; this is the first animated film to be developed from remote locations amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and this also marks the first film to be inspired by Southeast Asian culture.
Tran expressed her excitement to take on the role. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said that “[W]hat’s really cool about this project, about this character specifically, is that everyone’s trying to flip the narrative on what it means to be a princess.”
“Raya and the Last Dragon” was originally expected to debut in theaters this November. However, coronavirus derailed many of Disney’s movie release plans, and as a result, the film’s release was pushed back to March 12, 2021. The film has been kept mostly under wraps, but the project was previously teased at D23 Expo last year.
By: Maytinee Kramer
