Directors Don Hall, Carlos López Estrada & Writer Qui Nguyen Talk ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’
Coming out this week from Walt Disney Animation Studios is their highly-anticipated animated fantasy film Raya and the Last Dragon. Hitting select theaters on March 5, fans can order the film’s Premier Access on Disney+ for an additional one-time fee of $29.99. Raya and the Last Dragon is co-directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6), Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), Paul Briggs (Zootopia) and John Ripa from a script written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and Qui Nguyen.
Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together 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 will be led by Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) in the The titular role, with Awkwafina (The Farewell) starring as a dragon in human form named Sisu.
The cast for the film includes 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.
BlackFilmandTV.com’s Wilson Morales spoke with co-directors Don Hall, Carlos Lopez Estrada & writer Qui Nguyen on the making of the film. While Hall had directed Winnie the Pooh and Big Hero 6, this is Lopez’s first outing in the animation world. He’s best known for his critically acclaimed Sundance film Blindspotting. The same goes for Qui, who had written for AMC's Dispatches from Elsewhere, Netflix's The Society, and Syfy's Incorporated.