Kelly Marie Tran is a lone warrior on a mission in first Raya and the Last Dragon trailer
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Disney Animation just dropped the first trailer for Raya and the Last Dragon, showcasing Kelly Marie Tran as the titular warrior embarking on an epic (and action-packed) quest.
The visuals, revealed Wednesday on Good Morning America, came a day after the studio released the first poster for the upcoming film.
In August, EW exclusively revealed a first-look image from Raya featuring the titular heroine and her trusty steed Tuk Tuk, a creature director Don Hall described as a fuzzy bear meets "an insect version of an armadillo."
In the film, an evil force threatens the fictional kingdom of Kumandra, and Raya (voiced by Tran) and Tuk Tuk must leave their Heart Lands home and track down the last dragon to help stop the villainous Druun.
Disney
Disney
Disney is making history with Raya, as it's the studio's first film to be inspired by Southeast Asia, and Tran is also the first Southeast Asian actress to lead a film from the company.
Tran, who many audiences know as Rose Tico in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, told EW that Raya, the daughter of a chief, will redefine the classic Disney princess. Director Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) said fans can expect to see chases, fight scenes, and more "high-octane" action from our heroine.
"She is someone who is technically a princess but I think that what'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," Tran said. "Raya is totally a warrior. When she was a kid, she was excited to get her sword. And she grows up to be a really badass, gritty warrior and can really take care of herself."
Disney
Awkwafina lends her voice as Sisu, a dragon in human form who needs Raya’s help to reclaim her power and become her true dragon self. Playwright Qui Nguyen and Crazy Rich Asians scribe Adele Lim co-wrote the film, while Paul Briggs and John Ripa served as co-directors. Moana alum Osnat Shurer produced.
Raya is also one of the first Disney Animation features to be developed from remote locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The crew of about 400 artists were just ramping up production in March when they had to reshuffle to working from home and communicating via Zoom calls. By August, the film was 50 percent animated, Hall told EW, and his team was chugging toward the finish line.
Raya and the Last Dragon will premiere March 12, 2021.
Disney
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