Disney has released an official teaser trailer for “Raya and the Last Dragon,” its highly-anticipated fantasy epic inspired by cultures of Southeast Asia.
Announced in August 2019, the animated film was originally scheduled to hit theaters next month, but the COVID-19 pandemic pushed its release to March 2021.
The film follows Raya, a lone warrior tasked to find the legendary last dragon that will save humanity from an evil force threatening the kingdom of Kumandra.
Disney visited Southeast Asian countries and consulted multiple experts from the region’s cultures in creating the movie.
Kelly Marie Tran plays Raya, while Awkwafina plays Sisu, the last dragon.
“My whole life I trained to become a guardian of the dragon gem. But this world has changed and it’s people are divided,” Raya says in the trailer. “Now, to restore peace, I must find…the last dragon.”
The trailer also features Tuk Tuk, an armadillo-like creature playing Raya’s sidekick.
As of this writing, the trailer received more than 4.5 million views on YouTube.
“The amount of Southeast Asian representation makes me wanna cry OMG. Disney, you better not screw this up,” one user commented.
Another noted, “It looks like a mix of ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender,’ ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ and ‘Moana’…I kinda like it!”
“Raya and the Last Dragon” is directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada. Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim wrote the script.
Feature Image Screenshots via Walt Disney Animation Studios
