THE ONE WHO LEADS. Raya and the Last Dragon, which premieres March 5, draws inspiration from multiple Southeast Asian cultures. (Images courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios)

From The Asian Reporter, V31, #3 (March 1, 2021), pages 1 & 12.

Walt Disney Animation Studios is premiering its latest movie. Raya and the Last Dragon, on Friday, March 5 in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access.

The film tells the story of Raya, a lone warrior who must track down the last dragon to help save her homeland of Kumandra from the sinister Druun. Along the way, Raya must learn that it takes more than a dragon to save her homeland — traits such trust and teamwork.

Raya and the Last Dragon features the vocal talents of Kelly Marie Tran as Raya; Awkwafina as Sisu, the last dragon; Daniel Dae Kim as Chief Benja, Raya’s father; Gemma Chan as Namaari, Raya’s nemesis; Sandra Oh as Virana (Namaari’s mother); and others.

Years ago when research for the movie was done, a group of filmmakers and artists travelled to Southeast Asia for inspiration. They visited Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore to learn about the culture, architecture, food, and atmosphere.

Once the group was back home, they worked with cultural experts — choreographers, musicians, linguists, architects, cultural experts, martial artists, and anthropologists — to be sure the film included authentic details. (Although Kumandra is a fictional world, it is inspired by the connected cultures of Southeast Asia.)

Drawing from multiple Southeast Asian cultures was important to the film creators, including the name of the main character, Raya, which in Malay means "celebration" and in Thai means "the one who leads."

To learn more, visit <www.movies.disney.com>.