By Courtney Potter

In just a few days’ time, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon will take flight—both in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (in most Disney+ markets). The film tells an incredible tale: Long ago, in the fantastical world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when an evil force known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, centuries later, that evil has returned—and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to find the legendary last dragon Sisu to restore the fractured land and its divided people. Along the way, she’ll learn that it takes more than a dragon to save the world—it also takes teamwork and trust.

As with any animated film, countless hours go into creating the look and feel of the characters—from their facial features to their clothing, from the flow of their hair to how they walk, run, or even fly… and literally everything in between. D23 recently heard from several members of Raya and the Last Dragon’s Character Animation team about the amazing work that went into creating both Raya and Sisu, the storied last dragon. Read on for a few behind-the-scenes tidbits from Amy Smeed, co-head of animation for the film; Avneet Kaur, simulation supervisor; and Luis Logam, story artist.

Taking a look at warrior Raya (voice of Kelly Marie Tran):
“With Raya and the Last Dragon, we have a vast world, filled with unique characters,” explains Kaur, “and our approach to creating these characters is driven by the story, the design of our Kumandran world, and the cultures of Southeast Asia.”

“Raya, as a character, is always moving forward,” continues Smeed. “She’s very determined. She’s also very clever and resourceful, and really a very confident and incredible fighter. When we meet her in the film at 18, she has closed herself off from genuine connection and truly lacks trust in others. As for her costume design—because she is a warrior, she really needs to be very agile. Her clothing is inspired by [garments] from Southeast Asia, and it really lends itself to easy mobility.” Functionality was a key aspect of the costume design, so the teams created breathable draping styles inspired by the sabai top and sampot pant found in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. “So the wrapped and tied-down aspects of the [outfit] truly captured her personality while facilitating for her mobility and her wide range of motion,” Kaur adds. “Her cloak, accordingly, was designed to give her a sense of mystery, almost like acting as a shield… It was very important to the directors that everything in her character design and performance resonate with her personality, whilst being inspired by Southeast Asia. For example, her hairstyle is carefully designed to frame her face beautifully. It keeps out of the way, hence the double braid pinned back—allowing her sightline to be clear for agile action, and for the audiences to read her expressions clearly.”

…And that level of detail extends to how Raya and the film’s other characters fight:
Combat sequences throughout Raya and the Last Dragon were inspired by martial art forms specific to the cultures of Southeast Asia, including Pencak Silat from Malaysia and Indonesia, and Muay Thai kickboxing and Krabi Krabong configurations from Thailand—and were created through collaboration between the film’s co-writer Qui Nguyen (credited for additional fight reference choreography); the Character Animation team; and fight reference choreographer Maggie MacDonald. “Even at a young age, Raya is a very skilled fighter,” says Smeed. “Qui was such a huge help to us, defining the fighting style for this film… it was all so beneficial to us, because most of our animators are not martial artists—let alone have knowledge about styles as specific as these. And even after we were all sent to work [on the film] from home, Maggie still found ways to send us reference as inspiration for the animators.”

Bringing a dragon to life:
“Sisu, short for Sisudatu, is a divine water being of unspeakable beauty,” says Logam, “though maybe at times, not quite as majestic as Raya expected. In her character introduction, the directors wanted Sisu to completely throw Raya off guard and out of her comfort zone. So they encouraged me to have Sisu act with a lot of physicality in [their first] scene, which was really fun to storyboard. She trips and knocks Raya upside-down, picks her up, flips her around, and gives her a big bear hug… In many ways, Raya’s character works because of Sisu. Throughout the movie, there’s this constant push and pull between them, and Sisu largely represents the hope, joy, and trust that Raya’s lost.”

“The directors wanted Sisu, as the dragon, to look breathtakingly beautiful,” adds Kaur, “and her design, inspired by the mythical Naga, was created to reflect just that… her hair was meant to make her feel light and ethereal, through its almost magically weightless motion, which accentuates her being divine and mystical. The design team also closely collaborated with Dr. Steve Arounsack [a visual anthropologist and consultant on the film] on Sisu’s design; her serpentine body, her connection to water, and her elevated and elegant crest were all integral to her final look.”

…And how Awkwafina (voice of Sisu) helped influence the final design:
“For Sisu [in her various forms], we looked to Awkwafina for inspiration,” says Smeed. “There’s a real specificity in the way Awkwafina acts and moves that really brings entertainment to her dialogue, as well as the ‘pantomime’ moments… For example, Sisu tends to nod and move her head around a lot, as she’s thinking, and she has very broad expressions. She can transition into a huge smile very quickly, which really helps give her a lot of life and charm.”

On the challenges of creating such memorable characters from home:
“The theme of the film can be described in the sentence, ‘It takes more than a dragon to save the world; it takes trust and teamwork,’” says Kaur. “And this became a living metaphor to describe how we all came together to accomplish the successful completion of the characters for this film when working from home. Trust was indeed the glue that held us all together… I’m so proud and thankful for my journey on this film.”

Logam agrees, adding, “Despite the circumstances, all the different teams involved were able to finish this movie and make it truly remarkable. I’m really excited to see it, and for everyone to get to see it as well.”

“Working from home was definitely a challenge,” continues Smeed, “but with the amount of trust that was given to us by our directors, as well as the trust we all put into our own teams—not only were we able to complete the film, but we gave a large sense of ownership to all the artists that were working on their shots. I’m so incredibly proud of this film.”

See Raya and the Last Dragon when it comes to theaters—as well as to Disney+ Premier Access, in most Disney+ markets—Today!

By Courtney Potter

In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon, lone warrior Raya must track down the legendary last dragon, Sisu, in order to restore the fractured lands of Kumandra—as well as her own fractured beliefs about teamwork and trust. Just days ago, however, voice actors Kelly Marie Tran (Raya) and Awkwafina (Sisu) didn’t have to adventure particularly far to discover some magic of their own; all they had to do was join in on a unforgettable virtual press conference celebrating the film’s impending release—both in U.S. theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (in most Disney+ markets)—this Friday, March 5.

Along with Tran and Awkwafina, the press conference featured fellow voice actors Daniel Dae Kim (Chief Benja), Benedict Wong (Tong), Izaac Wang (Boun), Thalia Tran (Little Noi), Gemma Chan (Namaari), and Sandra Oh (Virana)—as well as directors Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada; producer Osnat Shurer; and screenwriters Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim. Read on for some of the morning’s most memorable—not to mention heartwarming—stories:

Daniel Dae Kim on a particularly eventful experience he had while bringing Chief Benja to life:
“I love the character [of Chief Benja] a lot,” the actor explains. “He’s someone that I aspire to be, so it’s nice when you can really take a lot of pride in the person that you’re playing. It was amazing, actually, being able to record from home because, you know, living in Hawaii, anytime I travel to go shoot something, it’s at least five hours—and sometimes 11—by plane. So to be able to walk downstairs in my T-shirt and shorts was pretty great. Although I will say it wasn’t without hiccups. Carlos and Osnat and Don can all attest—one of my very first sessions from home was a big chunk of [Chief Benja’s] dialogue where he’s talking about Kumandra and he’s establishing a relationship with Raya… so I recorded for an hour; we did some great stuff. And at the end of the hour, I was supposed to upload my packet [of recordings] to the studios. And as I was uploading, I realized that I had recorded none of that past hour!”

He laughs, adding, “So this is what happens when you leave the recording [and] the technical stuff to the actors. We lost that hour, but I learned my lesson—and it was hassle-free the rest of the way.”

Awkwafina remembers the first time she saw a clip from the still-in-progress film—and what it was like to finally “meet” Sisu:
“I first saw a clip that was put together and [shown] at D23 Expo 2019, and I was a little confused; I was like, ‘Is this a live action movie? Let me get my agent on the phone!’ Because it looked so realistic—the rain and everything. I was confused!” Eliciting more giggles from her fellow press conference attendees, she continues, “You realize how much you were [working on the film], y’know, sometimes without pants—that’s optional—or with one shoe on. That’s just what we’re doing! But then you realize all of what goes into this—we’re recording, simultaneously, as it’s being animated. So when I first saw the human version of Sisu, I was like, ‘OK, all right. Uh, that, to me—like, not even showing off or anything—it looks like me! And so, you know, those nuances were very trippy and very, very mind-blowing.”

Thalia Tran and Izaac Wang on their experiences making the film:
“Playing Little Noi is definitely like nothing I’ve ever done before,” admits Tran, “because she doesn’t use English words. She speaks in her own language. But the connection she has with her gang of Ongis [three part-monkey, part-catfish creatures]—and the connection she develops with Raya and her whole gang… that sense of comradery and that strength, that sense of family—that is definitely something that I relate to personally. And I know, growing up in a Vietnamese family, that family always comes first. From the traditions to just everyday life. Family is just such a huge thing, especially now in quarantine—[being] with my family all the time. It’s something that definitely clicked with me. I [thought], yes, I know what it feels like… Seeing it all come together—hearing everyone’s voices and seeing all the beautiful scenes and hearing all the beautiful words—it means a lot to have a movie like this, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.”

Wang, the film’s youngest voice actor, adds, “It was really fun [performing] Boun as a character because I relate to him a lot, energy-wise. He feels like a very social person.” Cracking up his castmates, he continues, “If I ever met him in real life, he’d be that kind of guy who would go up to you in a random day, [saying], ‘Hey, do you want these cookies that I got in here?’ Not suspicious at all! You can have them for free! He’s a really cool person to play to because I like doing his voice. It’s really fun.”

As for the importance of the Southeast Asian cultures that inspired the film, Wang adds, “[Today] I’m wearing a pha biang; it’s a traditional Lao accessory that people usually wear to ceremonies and temples. If you go into Laos, you can actually see people walking around wearing these, if it’s like a special day or it’s a special time for a certain someone… I’ve been centered around a couple of cultures my whole life. And just to see all these different cultures [represented in this film] is really amazing to me.”

Sandra Oh and Gemma Chan reflect on what voicing their characters meant to them:
“Our characters [are] complex,” explains Oh. “There’s no black and white in these characters, which I greatly appreciated… [And] I was extremely moved by the message of this film, because I feel myself struggling to learn how to trust as well… I feel like the storytelling and the characters, particularly Gemma’s character, Namaari, have a very nuanced and more complex look at things—which is where I feel like we need to bring storytelling anyway, to a more nuanced point of view. So I was really happy to be a part of that.”Chan concurs, adding, “One of the things that really drew me to the story and resonates with me is the fact that Namaari is the antagonist, but as Sandra said, it’s not black and white; I find that really interesting. Namaari and Raya are also kind of two sides of the same coin. You could imagine them having each other’s upbringings and, and easily taking each other’s place… You can also understand why the people of Fang are trying to protect themselves. You can understand why we have elements in our society that want to protect their own self-interest. I think these are really complex themes to explore in a family film—and I thought the storytellers tackling this [idea] couldn’t come at a more timely moment for where we are, and the position we’re in, in the world right now. I’m so proud to be part of this.”

Co-director Lopez adds, “The humanity that both Gemma and Sandra brought to those roles is something that we are very, very moved by. As Gemma was mentioning, these are very complex ideas—and they both connected with the characters, but also [to the] philosophy… [it] added a layer of complexity to our movie that was very necessary.”

Benedict Wong recalls a heartfelt moment after showing the film to his young son:
“It was the first time we’d actually sat and watched the film entirely, all the way through,” says Wong. “And obviously, the themes [of the film] are about trust. And he turned around and gave me a big hug and said, ‘I trust you, Daddy’… It’s very timely, with our beautiful film showing us that love can really lead the way.”

The filmmaking team weighs in finding their memorable cast, and what makes Raya so special:
“Disney magic,” admits Shurer. “I really think we just got lucky to find some of the best actors in the world. And they all said yes.” “The connection that all of the actors have with the material, with their characters has been so special,” continues López Estrada. “We had teary conversations with all of [them], about what the characters and what the story meant to [them]. And you don’t get to see that very often. We have a group of people that really believe in this movie and what it represents. And I think that just moved us and every single person working on the movie. It’s beautiful.” Hall adds, “There were certainly moments during the making of the film where we were very aware of how this [story], which was meant to be timeless, was unbelievably timely. And I think it emboldened us to continue forward, because we felt like we had something to say. If this film can teach one person to be brave enough to trust somebody, then we feel like we’ve done what we set out to do.”

Nguyen adds, “I think we’re all quite aware of what this kind of movie—with heroes that look like this—will mean to so many kids and families out there. To have such an ‘A’-class group of actors, and to be able to be representatives of that to so many kids—is such a dream come true, not just for us as filmmakers, but for the community.” “It was very important to the filmmakers that the troubles that Kumandra faces—and the journey that Raya goes on, the struggle she faces—are rooted very much in the real world.” Lim adds. “Hopefully, this movie is our word and our message to the world: Let’s pull together.”

Kelly Marie Tran explains why a film like Raya and the Last Dragon is so important right now:
“There’s a moment for me specifically, with Raya, where she—towards the end of the movie—gets to feel justifiably and absolutely unapologetically angry,” explains Tran. “And for me, seeing a young woman in a movie like this just get to feel that righteous anger, and then recognizing that the thing that pulls her out of it is seeing her friends and how they’re helping other people. It just feels so real to me… You do get to that place sometimes where you feel like, ‘Oh, this is a very broken world.’ I’m feeling a lot of things right now and recognizing that, for me, gosh—that moment felt so grounded in reality.”

She continues, “The only way to really get through it is to look for the bits of hope in your community. And then I see so much hope [in this very group], with all of these people that I look up to so much—Sandra and Awkwafina and Gemma… everyone on this call is doing impossible things in a world that told us we couldn’t. So to be part of that, to be making a movie with all of you about that same thing… I’m just really grateful for this.”

See Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon when it comes to theaters, as well as to Disney+ Premier Access (in most Disney+ markets), on Friday, March 5.

By D23 Team

We’re only a few days away from the much-anticipated debut of Raya and the Last Dragon, both in U.S. theaters and on Disney+ as a Premier Access offering… which means it’s the perfect time to meet the characters we’ll see in this incredible animated adventure.

Raya (voice of Kelly Marie Tran)
Raya is a proud Guardian of the Dragon Gem, a title she holds alongside her beloved father Benja, the Chief of the Heart lands. Her world is turned upside down when said Gem is broken, and her father is turned to stone. On a mission to save the world from the Druun—ethereal, amorphous, and destructive spirits born out of human conflict, who can turn people to stone with a single touch—she’s grown up to be a resilient warrior whose wit is as sharp as her blade.

Sisu (voice of Awkwafina)
Sisu, short for Sisudatu, is the last dragon of Kumandra. Legends say she’s a divine water being of unspeakable beauty and unstoppable magic… but what Raya finds instead is a funny, self- deprecating dragon who sees herself as the perennial “C-student.” Now she must learn to become the dragon of legend if she’s to save the world with Raya.

Chief Benja (voice of Daniel Dae Kim)
Known as “the baddest blade in the five lands,” Benja is Raya’s beloved father and legendary Guardian of the Dragon Gem. As chief of Heart, he’s an idealistic and bold visionary who believes that Kumandra is broken because the people of the different lands don’t trust each other. He seeks to reunite the fractured kingdom of Kumandra and restore harmony.

Namaari (voice of Gemma Chan)
Brilliant, calculating, and a formidable warrior, Namaari is Raya’s unrelenting nemesis. She is the daughter of the Chief of the Fang lands and is determined to do whatever it takes to protect her people. However, down deep, she holds a secret love for dragons.

Virana (voice of Sandra Oh)
The cool and calculating chief of the Fang lands and mother to Namaari, Virana leads her people with fierce pragmatism. A strong, brilliant, and unsentimental leader, she rejects the old myths—believing decisive action is the only way to guarantee her people’s survival.

Boun (voice of Izaac Wang)
A precocious street kid from Tail who’s always up for a business deal, Boun is an adult in a child’s body—capable and self-sufficient. He’s the self-styled “owner, manager, chef, and captain” of his boat, the Shrimporium. Deep down, he’s a vulnerable child who lost his parents to the Druun.

Tong (voice of Benedict Wong)
Underneath his massive, gruff, and fierce exterior, Tong is really a lonely woodsman with a soft spot for little ones. Equal parts severity and softness, he’s truly a gentle giant.

Little Noi (voice of Thalia Tran)
After her family is lost to the Druun, 2-year-old toddler Little Noi is raised by the Ongis. In the trading port of Talon, she hilariously leads the group’s hustle—distracting passersby with her cuteness while the Ongis rob them blind.

Ongis
Part monkey, part catfish, the three Ongis are resourceful con artists from the trading port of Talon. They do everything together, including looking after Little Noi.

Tuk Tuk (voice of Alan Tudyk)
Part-pill bug, part-pug, part-high speed off-road vehicle, and all adorable, Tuk Tuk has been Raya’s best friend since she could hold him in the palm of her hand. Now they are both grown, and Tuk Tuk is Raya’s faithful, gigantic steed. Together, they tear through the varied terrains of Kumandra at incredible speeds on a journey to find the last dragon and save the world.

Look for Raya and the Last Dragon when it premieres in U.S. theaters, and on Disney+ Premier Access (in most Disney+ markets) this Friday, March 5!