Raya and the Last Dragon

[DisneyFan97]

Where does ever one get this third female lead thing from ?

I haven't seen a source !

Just wondering !

This is the upcoming animated i am most excited for

[DisneyFan97]

The plot sounds interesting, though now I don't want some one note villainess controlling the Druun, I want them to be a metaphor for existential threat for humans.

Why does some people seem to have more info about the Druun than was realsed in the article ?

[DisneyFan97]

What a huge shakeup for not only the lead actress, but the production team as well! Poor Paul Briggs! I met him when I visited WDAS (He gave me a exclusive Elsa sketch as a prize for their trivia dinner ) and he was gushing about the movie. At least, it has the new direction team is good.

I, for one, am not shocked about Cassie Steele being replaced. Disney thrives on big name stars now and I was shocked that they hired a former TV actress from the 2000s for a leading role. It seems like they had auditions right after Cassie left too, so it doesn't seem like the executives randomly hired her for name value.

I'm also really glad that we have official princess confirmation and that we will have a second Asian Disney Princess. It does sound like a last-second change since D23 only described her as a warrior. I have it on good word that it sounds like that the heroine in Encanta is also a "princess" type character, so we'll have two Disney Princesses in 2021. I just hope Disney makes boy movies again. They're on girl overload And yay, new villain! FINALLY!

I fully agree , I am SUPER HAPPY Raya will be princess !!

[D82]

Where does ever one get this third female lead thing from ?

It's in Entertainment Weekly's article:

Shurer is especially excited to follow up Moana with another movie featuring a kick-ass female protagonist — in fact, Raya has three, including one fans will have to wait to discover.

Source: https://ew.com/movies/raya-last-dragon- ... arie-tran/

Why does some people seem to have more info about the Druun than was realsed in the article ?

We learned it from this new synopsis that was released by Disney:

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world—it’s going to take trust as well.

Source: https://www.disneyanimation.com/films/


There's also this interview with Kelly Marie Tran that gives some more details about the story as well: https://ew.com/movies/kelly-marie-tran- ... interview/

[D82]

Still, he's not the father of Maleficent who's the protagonist there. And making the dad the villain is much more acceptable and risk-averse than making it the mom.

Yeah, it's true that he's not the protagonist's father there like he was in the animated film, but it's still unusual to make the biological parent of one of the main good characters evil. Regarding the latter, in the sequel, Michelle Pfeiffer's character is also the biological mother of Philip, who is one of the main characters too, so they actually did the same with both genders.

I actually like that the father dies because, as you said, it gives Raya a more personal reason to go on this journey and makes the story more interesting.

Yes, but it also makes Raya another female character who has a stronger bond with her dad than with her mom.

Yeah, I guess that's what will happen, but hopefully the relationship with her mother is also well developed.

I don't think the Druun could literally rule the land as they seem like non-sentient monsters who just run amuck and destroy everything in their path. I think Raya's mom could still function as an interim chief for the people of the Heart Lands (or what's left of them).

Well, I guess you could be right. Unless they have a leader who hasn't been revealed yet, it's probably unlikely that the Druun would rule there. I hope you're right and Raya's mother is an interim chief.

If they had included Kida, Tiana wouldn't have been the only Black princess either.

Is Kida black? The people from Atlantis are dark skinned, but I never thought they were black.

To be honest, the choice of making the father a villain was one of the things that I disliked with Maleficent. As skimpy as the screenplay was, I disliked the choice. Not only due to how little it resonated, but also how it made little sense to have the protagonist`s father be the villain. After all, he loved his daughter in the animated counterpart, so why even have that table turned in Maleficent?

I think many people disliked it. Personally, I didn't like it much either because to me it seemed a bit like an easy solution to create conflict to make him the villain instead of Maleficent. I would've preferred they had found a way to tell the story from Maleficent's perspective but without changing the other characters so drastically. Perhaps if Stefan had been redeemed at the end I would've liked it more. Or if they hadn't also killed Aurora's mother, leaving her an orphan.

[Sotiris]

I remember a friend of mine who I used to discuss Disney with suggested that one of the reasons why Kida or Eilowny weren't in the franchise, was because they didn't sing (since songs are essentially a trademark for a Disney Princess). But if so, then why include Merida, who didn't have a song at all?

There are really no rules set in stone. Disney looks at things like box office performance and popularity and more recently diversity to decide which character joins the line-up, not whether they sing or have a love interest. I mean, Jasmine doesn't even have her own 'I Want' song; she only got half of a love song. I would argue that Merida does sing. Well, not literally, but "Touch the Sky" and "Into the Open Air" are both sung from Merida's perspective. "Touch the Sky" totally functions as her 'I Want' song. It's similar to how the songs in Tarzan work or even "When She Loved Me" in Toy Story 2. For Kida, things get a little trickier. There's the end credits song "Where the Dream Takes You" which is sung by a female vocalist, but the lyrics are more applicable to Milo than Kida which makes sense since he's the protagonist. It would be a bit of a stretch, but they could apply to Kida too. The lyrics are vague and generic enough to allow that interpretation. I would have no issue with Disney using it as her signature song if she were ever to join the line-up. I know it's not a musical, but I hope there's an original song in Raya and the Last Dragon, either during a montage sequence or in the end credits, that functions as an 'I Want' song for Raya.

It will probably be like the case of Tiana and even Kayley from Quest of Camelot, where the bond between father and daughter is the main emphasis, despite the mother being alive.

That's what I'm predicting too based on the information we have so far. Raya's relationship with her father will be the driving force of the narrative.

[Sotiris]

Q: Why the change of Cassie Steele in Raya?

Skyler Shuler: Heard it was Jennifer Lee who changed up the project. Don't know why.

Source: https://i.imgur.com/WjO9DoQ.jpg

[Disney's Divinity]

Hmm. Hopefully it was for the better since Lee was involved in the decisions. I agree, DisneyFan09, my first thought was that her father will be a main motivating factor for her, which was another thing along with the change to the sword that made me think they’re imitating Mulan too much.

[Farerb]

Q: Why the change of Cassie Steele in Raya?

Skyler Shuler: Heard it was Jennifer Lee who changed up the project. Don't know why.

Source: https://i.imgur.com/WjO9DoQ.jpg

Oh no. I guess now we can expect a mess like Frozen II.

[DisneyFan09]

There are really no rules set in stone. Disney looks at things like box office performance and popularity and more recently diversity to decide which character joins the line-up, not whether they sing or have a love interest.

True. But remember that it wasn`t my suggestion. But ever since we got The Princess and the Frog eleven years ago, Disney has deliberately launched most of the Princesses into the franchise. So it was not a big surprise that even Merida was eventually incorporated into it, despite it`s contrivance. Even Anna and Elsa were originally meant to blend into the franchise (let`s be real here, it was mostly the reason why they were made into Princesses). Besides, it`s somewhat contradictory to even have Princess-related Disney Junior shows like Sofia the First and Elena of Avalor, without including them into the lineup (since they would`ve made more sense than Vanellope, to be honest).

I mean, Jasmine doesn't even have her own 'I Want' song; she only got half of a love song.

True, but Jasmine was just meant to be the love interest. But her inclusion makes sense, after all. Since she was from a pivotal and iconic movie from the Renaissance and was constantly been compared to her Princess predecessors, before the lineup became official.

I would argue that Merida does sing. Well, not literally, but "Touch the Sky" and "Into the Open Air" are both sung from Merida's perspective. "Touch the Sky" totally functions as her 'I Want' song. It's similar to how the songs in Tarzan work or even "When She Loved Me" in Toy Story 2.

Fair enough. But since Pixar has now snuck themselves into musical territory, imagine if they made a sequel to Brave where Merida sings Yeah, it most likely not gonna happen, but just imagine.

For Kida, things get a little trickier. There's the end credits song "Where the Dream Takes You" which is sung by a female vocalist, but the lyrics are more applicable to Milo than Kida which makes sense since he's the protagonist. It would be a bit of a stretch, but they could apply to Kida too. The lyrics are vague and generic enough to allow that interpretation. I would have no issue with Disney using it as her signature song if she were ever to join the line-up.

OK. It`s not as every Princess needs to have her song, anyway. It`s nice to have a break from it once in a while.

I know it's not a musical, but I hope there's an original song in Raya and the Last Dragon, either during a montage sequence or in the end credits, that functions as an 'I Want' song for Raya.

Yeah, let`s hope so.

I agree, DisneyFan09, my first thought was that her father will be a main motivating factor for her, which was another thing along with the change to the sword that made me think they’re imitating Mulan too much.

True. But Raya will most likely get compared to Mulan, nonetheless. Considering how everything Disney does is perceived as derivative by the public in one way or another, Raya will not only be compared, but it will most likely have several nods to Mulan.

[DisneyFan97]

This is my most anticipated upcoming animated movie !

[NeverLand]

A quest to save her world.

Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world—it’s going to take trust as well.

Release DateMarch 12, 2021

Source: http://www.disneyanimation.com/films

[unprincess]

ok I am looking forward to this movie b/c a fantasy Southeast Asia sounds amazing, but errr... another female lead goes on a journey with some other character to find something/someone? They just CANNOT escape this trope cant they? I hope they do a better job with the supporting characters and the world building than they did with Frozen 2...

btw in the EW interview he said there's a third protagonist, so that that character cant be villain, unless we end up with yet another twist villain, ugh. I do hope, if there's a villain, its a woman, and she's HOT. If us gals and gay guys can have Hans, let the guys and gay ladies have their own villain hottie.

I'm surprised that Raya is now being referred to as a princess. This feels like a last minute change, she doesn't seem the princess type at all.

about the evil parents thing, I had mentioned this in a Frozen 2 thread sometime last year, Disney does not like having evil biological parents. Its become a big problem for them with the Frozen franchise b/c many people view Agnar and Iduna as terrible parents, and Disney tried to fix things in the sequel...and they did a terrible job of it, lol.

[thedisneyspirit]

^Yet they're totally okay with villainizing adoptive parents, hmm...

[Farerb]

^Yet they're totally okay with villainizing adoptive parents, hmm...

Who are you referring to?

[Sotiris]

Frollo? Gothel? None of them really qualify as adoptive parents though. Kala does and so do Hercules' human parents and they're all portrayed in a positive light.

[Sotiris]

German book cover. She looks more like Kelly Marie Tran in this illustration.


Source: https://www.carlsen.de/hardcover/disney ... che/116572

[UmbrellaFish]

This looks so weird and different, which has me very excited!

[DisneyFan09]

Her face looked a little chubby, to be honest. But the whole vibe of the picture seems Western to me.

[Disney's Divinity]

That image definitely has a quirky vibe; it makes me think of a Western. I like how the wisps of the clouds form the dragon.