Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon Takes Flight

A new animated offering brings a family adventure to life on Disney+

This is a big week at the movies, albeit from the comfort of your own couch.

Thanks to the lingering effects of the ever-present pandemic, what should have been two huge theatrical releases will instead debut on streaming services: Eddie Murphy’s long-awaited sequel to Coming to America and Disney’s CGI-animated family adventure Raya and the Last Dragon.

The latter is set in the ancient fantasy world of Kumandra, where humans once lived in harmony with dragons. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun invaded the land and threatened destruction, dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity.

Some 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior named Raya (voice of Star Wars‘ Kelly Marie Tran) to leave her home in the Heart Lands to embark on a journey to track down the last dragon and stop the Druun for good. Along the way, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world—it’s also going to take a whole lot of trust.

In addition to Tran, the predominantly Asian voice cast includes Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Benedict Wong, Sandra Oh, Daniel Dae Kim, Ross Butler and Alan Tudyk (Resident Alien), who plays Raya’s companion/means of transportation Tuk Tuk, who looks like a gigantic combination of a teddy bear and an armadillo.

Raya and the Last Dragon begins streaming Friday, March 5th on Disney+