50 Fun Facts About Raya and the Last Dragon

Which studio made Raya and the Last Dragon?

It was the studio's 59th animated feature and arrived in cinemas and on Disney+ Premier Access on the same day.

Who voices Raya?

Tran had auditioned unsuccessfully before being hired to replace the original lead in January 2020.

Who voices Sisu, the last dragon?

Sisu is goofy and a little unstable but brave, kind and fiercely loyal.

What is the name of the fantasy land where the film is set?

It is inspired by traditional Southeast Asian cultures and its Dragon River is modelled on the Mekong.

What are the mindless spirits that turn living beings to stone called?

Their designers thought of them as embodiments of hopelessness, drawing on ideas like water boiling in reverse and black holes.

Which of these is NOT one of the film's five lands?

The five are Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon and Tail, named for their positions along the dragon-shaped river.

Raya is a princess of which land?

Her father, Chief Benja, keeps the Dragon Gem there and trains her to guard it.

Namaari, Raya's rival, is a princess of which land?

Her mother Virana, voiced by Sandra Oh, is Fang's chieftess.

Who voices Namaari?

Jona Xiao voices the young Namaari who betrays Raya at the feast.

Who voices Chief Benja, Raya's father?

Benja throws Raya into the river to save her before he is petrified.

What gift does young Namaari give Raya at the feast?

Years later Raya returns it as a gesture of trust when proposing an alliance in Fang.

Into how many pieces does the Dragon Gem break when the tribes fight over it?

Each tribe's leader steals a piece and flees as the Druun pour out of the fissure.

What does Benja notice repels the Druun, just before he is petrified?

That is why he throws Raya into the river, and why the realm floods with danger when the water later drains away.

How many years pass between the gem's shattering and Raya's quest to find Sisu?

The film's colour and lighting shift sharply between the blue river of Heart and the desert of Tail six years on.

What kind of creature is Tuk Tuk, Raya's steed?

Alan Tudyk voices him; his name nods to a Thai dialect word for auto rickshaws.

In which land does Raya finally summon Sisu?

Tail was designed as Kumandra's wild west, with fantasy plateaus and sand waterfalls.

Sisu reveals the gem's magic actually came from whom?

Each recovered shard grants her one of her siblings' powers.

Boun, the young entrepreneur who joins the quest, runs what kind of business?

His boat becomes the group's transport; Izaac Wang voices the 10-year-old.

Little Noi, the toddler con artist, was raised by which creatures?

Ongis look like monkeys with catfish whiskers, and Noi is from Talon.

Which actor voices Tong, the huge warrior from Spine?

Tong lost his family and fellow villagers to the Druun.

Which actress voices Virana, chieftess of Fang?

Lucille Soong voices Dang Hu, the chieftess of Talon.

How is Sisu killed in Fang?

Raya strikes at Namaari with her whip sword when she sees a finger on the trigger, and the shot goes wide.

How does Raya show her faith in Namaari as the Druun close in at the climax?

Boun, Tong, Noi and the ongis follow, and Namaari reassembles the gem before being petrified herself.

Which actress was originally announced as Raya before being replaced?

Disney recast because Raya evolved from a stoic loner into a character with more swagger, in the mould of Star-Lord.

Who directed the final film?

Briggs and Wellins were the original directors and were demoted to co-directors in August 2020.

Which two writers share the screenplay credit?

Lim, who co-wrote Crazy Rich Asians, was on the project from the start; Nguyen joined later.

Who composed the score?

The score was released on February 26, 2021, a week before the film.

Who wrote and performed the end-credits song "Lead the Way"?

A Filipino version, 'Gabay', sung by KZ Tandingan, became Disney's first Filipino-language song.

"Gabay", a version of the end song recorded for the film's local dub, was Disney's first song in which language?

KZ Tandingan performed it for the film's Filipino dub in March 2021.

On what date was the film released in US theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access?

It had been delayed twice from November 2020 because of the pandemic.

Which DreamWorks film did Disney move the release to avoid clashing with?

The March 12 date was then pulled forward a week to March 5.

Which short film played before Raya in theaters?

It was also bundled with the digital release, alongside a behind-the-scenes piece about it.

Roughly how much did the film gross worldwide?

Cinemark, Harkins and Cineplex initially refused to show it after rejecting Disney's rental terms.

Which two films beat Raya as the most-streamed movies of 2021?

Raya racked up 8.34 billion minutes watched, third overall.

Sisu and the other dragons were inspired by which mythical beings?

Naga can appear as serpents or humans and are associated with water, which is why the dragons' footsteps ripple with light.

The film's Dragon River was inspired by which real river?

The production team travelled to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines for research.

Which land's design was inspired by Southeast Asian floating and night markets?

It was imagined as a five-level pier that grew downward as the waterline dropped.

Which architectural style shaped the rigid, monolithic look of Fang?

Its cold sharp edges were meant to contrast with the floral, rounded shapes of Heart.

Which land's buildings were inspired by bamboo?

Its roofline was modelled on a woolly-mammoth-like tusked shape rising from stone foundations.

Which group of experts did the filmmakers consult for cultural accuracy?

Its members also feature in the Blu-ray bonus documentary 'We are Kumandra'.

Roughly how many artists worked on the film?

They mixed traditional and 3D animation for a look reminiscent of shadow puppetry.

Which glowing plants, invented for the film, light up when the Dragon Gem is near?

They were inspired by an art installation of lamps that brighten and dim, found while researching night-blooming flowers.

Which Marvel hero did the directors cite when describing Raya's added "swagger"?

The change from stoic loner to swaggering hero is what prompted the recasting of the lead voice.

Which Academy Award was the film nominated for?

Critics gave it a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score and audiences an A on CinemaScore.

Which two countries were the top overseas markets on opening weekend?

It debuted in 32 markets with $26.2 million; China alone delivered $8.6 million.

Raya's outfit is based on which traditional garments?

Her high collar and large hat are protective layers the designers meant to strip away as she learns to trust.

Which two contrasting traits of Raya and Sisu drive the film's humour and emotion?

The two characters were eventually designed together after separate designs felt incomplete.

Which Disney regular voices Tuk Tuk, Raya's armadillo-like steed?

Tuk Tuk's name nods to a Thai dialect word for the auto rickshaws common across Southeast Asia.

Who voices Boun, the 10-year-old restaurateur from Tail who lost his family to the Druun?

Boun's floating restaurant becomes the heroes' ride from Tail back to the other lands.

On what date did Raya become free for all Disney+ subscribers after its Premier Access window?

In its first week as a free title it racked up roughly 1.1 billion viewing minutes, second only to Netflix's Lucifer.