It’s worth thinking about really since it could even lead to an idea of how there might be a type of wish fulfillment department in some far-off fantasy land where figures of all types coordinate and get together to figure out how to fulfill the wishes of humanity. Perhaps in Russia, we’d see a big, bear-like genie pop out of a nesting doll or a tea kettle or something. But in a way, it’s kind of fun since it makes a case for having a similar legend in different countries that might not be too different than what we’ve already seen.
It does feel as though some folks will decide to call the idea a horrible stereotype as they’ll likely label the whole thing as trouble since dragons, people of Asian descent, teapots, and so on and so forth, are bound to be seen as huge stereotypes that almost make this movie feel like a giant dare to the more ‘woke’ parts of society, especially given everything that’s gone down over the past few years. It’s not a condemnation you’re reading, simply an observation, since there are differences to be noted, such as the fact that the dragon is coming out of a teapot that he’s been in for a thousand years or more and that, well, he’s a dragon. Stop me if I’m wrong, but there are even moments in the trailer that track back to Aladdin since the dragon takes action without a wish being made and even lays out rules for the protagonist such as the fact that he can’t make anyone fall in love. It sounds like it’s going to be truly epic.Right off the bat, this looks like an adaptation of Aladdin from a different time period and region of the world since the Genie has become a Wish Dragon, and the area is no longer a kingdom in the desert, but a cityscape where a young man who doesn’t have the means he needs wants to get back in touch with a young woman that he was friends with long ago. But we can’t wait to see this one and meet our new Disney dream team. Sadly, that means we’ll have to wait until November 25th, 2020, when the movie hits theaters, to meet Sisu and Raya. Raya and the Last Dragon marks the next announced Disney animated film, after Frozen 2 (November 22nd), and Pixar releases Onward (March 2020) and Soul (June 2020). She further complimented the production team and gushed about the opportunity to work with Steele. In an Instagram post after the event, Awkwafina wrote that attending D23 was the “time of life,” and that she was “so excited to finally announce” Raya. She’ll join the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, slated for release in 2021, and she’s rumored to be voicing Scuttle in the upcoming live-action reboot of The Little Mermaid. Of course, Awkwafina has a trifecta of Disney delights up her sleeve in the next couple of years. There are a few other Disney favorites at the helm of Raya and the Last Dragon: Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins from Big Hero 6 and Frozen are directing, and Moana‘s Osnat Shurer is producing. Of her character meeting Awkwafina's, Steele told the audience, "Raya is ready to meet a magical water being who breathes fog through her nose, flies by riding the raindrops, and has a gem that channels this amazing huge power." But "when Raya first meets, she’s in human form and needs Raya’s help to reclaim her power to become her true dragon self," according to Entertainment Weekly. Degrassi: The Next Generation star Cassie Steele will play Raya, described as “a five-star bad-ass” who can apparently sling a sword like no other, according to Deadline. Crazy Rich Asians screenwriter Adele Lim penned the script, teaming back up with Awkwafina, who will play Sisu, the titular last dragon. So far, the line-up on this looks incredible. The question is what will we find? Hope or destruction?" One that could save an entire kingdom or bring it to an end. Before they left they hid a gift for the people. In a voiceover, the clip read, "Our world was created by dragons. At the D23 presentation announcing the film, audiences were given a little taste of what to expect.