Raya and the Last Dragon


Raya and the Last Dragon is an upcoming American computer-animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios for distribution by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The 59th film produced by the studio, it is directed by Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, co-directed by John Ripa, produced by Osnat Shurer, written by Adele Lim, and stars the voices of Awkwafina and Cassie Steele.
Raya and the Last Dragon is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States on March 12, 2021.

Premise

In the mysterious realm called Kumandra, a warrior named Raya seeks for the last dragon.

Cast

Development

On May 24, 2018, That Hashtag Show reported that Walt Disney Animation Studios was developing an animated film titled Dragon Empire, which would be the directorial debut of story artists Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, written by Kiel Murray. In October of the same year, Deadline reported that Adele Lim was hired to retouch the script, and that Osnat Shurer had been hired to produce the movie. On August 24, 2019, Disney officially announced the film during their D23 Expo Walt Disney Animation Studios' presentation panel, alongside with Awkwafina and Cassie Steele.

Animation and design

The film is set in a fictional fantasy land called Kumandra, inspired by Southeast Asian cultures from countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Laos. To research, the production team travelled to Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Release

Raya and the Last Dragon was originally scheduled to be released in the United States on November 25, 2020. However due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pixar's film, Soul took its November slot, delaying the film’s release date to March 12, 2021.