In a historic move, Disney has chosen to recast the forthcoming animated adventure Raya and The Last Dragon with Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) now taking over the titular role and becoming the first Southeast Asian to lead a Disney animated film, according to Deadline.
Raya and the Last Dragon, which is also being co-directed by Paul Briggs (Zootopia) and John Ripa, is set to hit theaters on March 12, 2021.
“They both saw the potential for this film and had a strong vision for the story, especially for our lead character, played by the wonderfully talented Kelly Marie Tran.
And no small feat, directors Don and Carlos, writers Qui and Adele, and the entire crew of 400 Disney Animation artists are making this film together, while separated and working from home.”