Walt Disney Animation Studios animated film feature Raya and the Last Dragon distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will feature a predominantly Asian-American cast. Kelly Marie Tran known for her role as Dawn Betterman in The Croods: A New Age voices Raya.
Originally when in concept was known as Dragon Empire. The film is set in a fantasy land called Kumandra, inspired by the Southeast Asian cultures of Brunei, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Tran became the subject of racist and misogynistic attacks over the Internet, a few years prior to obtaining the role. And as you know, unwanted hate only helps people prosper and lands them roles, and since working with DreamWorks Animation, she landed the leading role with Walt Disney Studios.
Prior to obtaining the role of Raya, Tran was to play Val Little in the upcoming Disney+ series Monsters at Work, but has since been replaced by Mindy Kaling.
The film grossed $90 million worldwide, and received positive reviews from critics, who praised the animation, voice acting, and messages. Unlike the Mulan reboot by Disney, that had mainly false reviews. However Disney's Raya was given criticism for the lack of actual Southeast Asian representation. The film is a fantasy action-adventure. Kumandra is a prosperous land rampaged by the Druun, evil spirits that multiply after petrifying people in stone. The dragons of Kumandra used their remaining magic to create an orb to ward off the Druun and revive everyone, but end up turning to stone themselves. A power struggle for the orb divides Kumandra's people into tribes, based on their placement along a giant river that resembles a dragon: Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail.