Raya and the Last Dragon
Raya and the Last Dragon (/ˈraɪ.ə/ RYE-ə) is a 2021 American animated fantasy action adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by American animation film director, voice actor and screenwriter Don Hall and Mexican-American filmmaker, music video director, commercial director, theatre director and actor Carlos López Estrada, co-directed by American animator and voice actor Paul Briggs and John Ripa, and produced by Israel-born film producer Osnat Shurer and American film producer Peter Del Vecho. The screenplay, which is based on story ideas by American film director, animator and storyboard artist Bradley Raymond and Helen Kalafatic, was primarily written by American playwright, screenwriter and director Qui Nguyen and Malaysian screenwriter, producer and director Adele Lim with additional contributions from other writers, including Briggs, Hall, Estrada, Ripa, Dean Wellins and Kiel Murray. Raya and the Last Dragon stars the voices of Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Izaac Wang and Gemma Chan and follows the warrior princess, Raya (voiced by Tran), as she seeks the fabled last dragon, Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina), to save her father, Chief Benja (voiced by American actor Daniel Dae Kim), and the land of Kumandra from evil spirits that are known as Druun.
Development of the project began in October 2018 and it was officially announced a year later in August 2019 and the title and voice cast were revealed. During production, Disney replaced several cast and crew members, including the initially announced lead actor Cassie Steele, who was replaced with Tran to conform with changes in character and plot. The film is inspired by traditional Southeast Asian cultures. During design and animation, the filmmakers focused on diverse environments and characters while maintaining authentic cultural representation. American film composer and music producer James Newton Howard composed the film's score.
Raya and the Last Dragon was released in theaters in the United States 2 years laters on March 5, 2021 and simultaneously on the streaming platform Disney+ for customers with Premier Access. The release was twice delayed from its November 2020 date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film became the third-most-streamed film of 2021 and grossed $130,400,000 million worldwide. Critics gave the film positive reviews with praise for its animation, visuals, action sequences and voice acting, but criticism for the limited Southeast Asian representation. It was nominated for several accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, but lost to Encanto, another Disney film that was released the same year.
