Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon has received a lot of buzz as the entertainment giant’s next entry into its digital animation lineup. At the latest Investor Day, Disney confirmed that the Southeast Asian story will release with the hybrid release model. This means that Raya will be hitting theaters and Disney+ Premiere Access on the same day. Though no price has been confirmed just yet, we’ve received no indication that they would divert from the same $29.99 price tag they went with for Mulan.
Given the scope of the film and the company’s hope that they’ll be able to drive more Premiere Access subscriptions, Disney made sure they had something special lined up for Super Bowl LV.
Recently, Disney faced some backlash for its casting choices in the film. Though it’s rooted heavily in Southeast Asian culture, the studio wanted to ensure they had some big-name actors lined up to get some metaphorical butts in seats. Unfortunately, that also meant that many of them weren’t from the region in question. This blow hit especially hard for some consumers after Disney made a point to re-cast its lead for similar reasons. (Raya will now be voiced by Kelly Marie Tran.)
As of right now, Raya and the Last Dragon is set to hit theaters and Disney+ Premiere Access on March 12, 2021. You can currently pre-order it on the streaming platform.
Here's the full synopsis of Raya and the Last Dragon:
“Raya and the Last Dragon” takes us on an exciting, epic journey to the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together long ago in harmony. But when an evil force threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, that same evil has returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the legendary last dragon to restore the fractured land and its divided people. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than a dragon to save the world—it’s going to take trust and teamwork as well. “Raya and the Last Dragon” features an outstanding voice cast, including Kelly Marie Tran as the voice of the intrepid warrior Raya; Awkwafina as the legendary dragon, Sisu; Gemma Chan as Raya’s nemesis, Namaari; Daniel Dae Kim as Raya’s visionary father, Benja; Sandra Oh as Namaari’s powerful mother, Virana; Benedict Wong as Tong, a formidable giant; Izaac Wang as Boun, a 10-year-old entrepreneur; Thalia Tran as the mischievous toddler Little Noi; Alan Tudyk as Tuk Tuk, Raya’s best friend and trusty steed; Lucille Soong as Dang Hu, the leader of the land of Talon; Patti Harrison as the chief of the Tail land; and Ross Butler as chief of the Spine land.
