Walt Disney Animations Studios has released the first trailer for its upcoming computer-animated fantasy film, Raya and the Last dragon.
The trailer, which dropped on Wednesday, introduces fans to Raya, a little girl searching for the last dragon as part of her mission to bring peace to her troubled world.
The trailer follows Raya, a masked ninja-like figure, exploring a cave in the company of TukTuk, her armadillo friend.
The pair finally encounter a masked villain, and the two engage in a deadly duel during which Raya displays advanced martial arts skills.
Raya and the Last Dragon premiere date
Raya and the Last Dragon is tentatively scheduled to premiere on March 12, 2021. There is still uncertainty about the release date. The film was originally scheduled to premiere in November, but it was moved to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Disney could be forced to move the date again due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The recent surge in the spread of the virus ahead of the winter season has caused health officials to warn that social distancing restrictions could remain in place for months.
The recent surge in coronavirus infections creates uncertainty about whether theaters that started reopening will remain open over the winter season and early spring.
Raya and the Last Dragon cast
Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) plays Raya. Tran replaces Cassie Steele, the actress originally announced to play Raya during the D23 Expo in August 2019.
Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) voices Sisu, the last dragon.
Raya and the Last Dragon is directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada and written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim.
What is Raya and the Last Dragon about?
According to Disney’s official synopsis for Raya and the Last Dragon, the film is set in the fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons lived together in peace and harmony for generations.
But after an evil force arrived to threaten the harmony of Kumandra, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity.
Five hundred years later, the evil force returns, and it is up to young Raya to save her world.
Raya goes in search of the last dragon to restore the harmony of her world. But as her journey unfolds, she realizes that her quest is much more complicated than it seemed at first.
The setting in the fictional world of Kumandra is inspired by Southeast Asian cultures, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and Malaysia.