Raya and the Last Dragon is Disney’s newest film, set to drop on Disney+ Premier Access tomorrow, March 5th. The film has been marketed as inspired by Southeast Asian culture, and stars Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran.
Raya’s story takes place in the fictional world Kumandra, a land where dragons used to roam and live in harmony with humans. 500 years later, Raya is tasked with tracking down the last dragon to stop the sinister monsters that wiped out the dragons in the first place.
I’m excited to see that this film is based on a culture Disney has not explored yet, but I am wary they are just checking off a box on their diversity quota list. The voice cast is primarily East Asian, which is disappointing given that Southeast Asian actors have been presented with fewer opportunities than East Asians actors in Hollywood. That being said, I have seen a lot of positive buzz and excitement towards the character designs in the film, and I’m generally glad Disney is making some sort of an effort to represent more of its audience.
Raya and the Last Dragon will be available to stream to those with a Disney+ subscription for an additional $29.99.
