'Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran to Star in New Disney Film 'Raya and the Last Dragon'

By Mary Anne R. Aug 28 2020, 02:43 AM EDT

Disney's animated adventure film "Raya and the Last Dragon" will star Kelly Marie Tran as the movie's main character.

Tran will be replacing the voice of the role previously held by Cassie Steele.

Entertainment Weekly said that "Raya and the Last Dragon" is a movie of many firsts; a creation that no one saw coming.

The upcoming adventure film will be one of the Disney Animation features to be developed from remote locations due the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Raya team had to quickly change their working style as the pandemic started around March. The team was working with equipment at home and communicating through Zoom.

Director Don Hall says the studio's various teams cooperated to create what he said, "the most beautiful animated film I've ever seen" despite the challenges.

Hall was also the filmmaker behind pictures like "Winnie the Pooh," "Big Hero 6," and "Moana."

Aside from Tran, Awkwafina is also part of the team, as announced last August. Awkwafine's role is a dragon in human form named Sisu. Sisu will need Raya's help to bring back her power and her true dragon self.

Raya and the Last Dragon

"Raya and the Last Dragon" is set in Kumandra, which is a fictional fantasy land. It follows a fearless warrior as she seeks to save the realm from evil forces.

Hall and Carlos López Estrada are directing the film. While Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim wrote "Raya and the Last Dragon."

"As filmmakers, Don and Carlos bring a combination of animation know-how and emotional storytelling to Raya and the Last Dragon, bringing our fantasy adventure to surprising, original, and dynamic heights," Walt Disney Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee said in a report.

Lee said both directors saw this film's potential and had a strong vision for the story, especially for the lead character.

Lee noted that the directors and writers, including the whole crew of Disney Animation artists, are making this film together.

Tran became famous after starring in 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Tran's casting in Disney's upcoming animated film makes her the first Southeast Asian American to cast as lead to a Disney animated film.

Tran said she did not know that she was yearning to see someone who looks like her. She said her character is someone who is technically a princess.

"But I think that what's really cool about this project, about this character specifically, is that everyone's trying to flip the narrative on what it means to be a princess," Tran said.

The filmmakers lauded Tran's comedy and ad-lib skills. They added that it was the level of emotion that she brought to the role that surprised them.

Nguyen said it meant a lot for him and Lim to see their cultures being represented in the film through martial arts and costumes.

"Raya and the Last Dragon" was initially expected to be launched in November. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its release was moved to March 12, 2021.