This has been an understandably thin year for animated films, with the pandemic disrupting them just as much as live-action features. There was legit optimism that Disney’s Southeast Asia-inspired Raya and the Last Dragon would be on the shortlist of Oscar contenders, but that was taken off the table when its November release was pushed to March 2021.
The hype for next year begins now, though, with the release of this stunning new teaser. Star Wars‘ Kelly Marie Tran voices Raya, a fearless warrior who teams with the last water dragon Sisu, voiced by Awkwafina, on a journey to stop monsters that threaten their world. The film is directed by Oscar-winning Big Hero 6 director Don Hall and Blindspotting filmmaker Carlos Lopez Estrada. Crazy Rich Asians writer Adele Kim penned the screenplay.
Raya and the Last Dragon opens on March 12th 2021, and I think at this point we should begin wondering whether it’ll be in theaters or Disney+.
SYNOPSIS: Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world—it’s going to take trust as well.
