Disney Raya Fun Facts

There are some very interesting Disney Raya Fun Facts.  I was fortunate to sit again with the creators of the amazing animation film to go over them and celebrate that Disney’s Raya and The Last Dragon will be available to take home on May 18th.  Of course, you are included in the celebration.  So, to give you more reasons to cheer, our friends at  Disney supplied us with a couple of movie codes to giveaway!  

Disney Raya Fun Facts

We had had the pleasure once before of talking to Disney Raya creators.  From that we got 6 reasons to Get Excited for Raya and The Last Dragon.  Amazing reasons that really are worth looking at again.  This time around.  We spoke about fun facts, the joy of creating this movie and working from home to create a film.

We spoke to:

• Director Carlos López Estrada
• Producer Osnat Shurer 
• Head of Story Fawn Veerasunthorn 
• Director Don Hall
• Writer Adele Lim
• Writer Qui Nguyen

Disney Raya Fun Facts

There are many factors that make Raya and the Last Dragon and epic story. And, there is lots of fun to be had because of the movie.  Case and point, the Free Disney Raya Activity Sheets.  So, it is always like finding a hidden gem when the talent who works a film share with us.  These Disney Raya Fun Facts are no exception:

On working from home

What was it like  to bring Raya to life collaborating with over 400 individuals working on the film…..from home? 

Carlos Lopez shared a beautiful sentiment: “It brought us together in a way that was powerful and really profound and forced us to have to trust each other. to believe that we were all working toward the same goal in over 400 different locations. what that did to our team and to each of us was really meaningful.”

Osnat Shurer was profound when she told us that it was a special when art mirrored real life since they all had to come together and trust each other.  Yes, Unity and Trust are central topics to this film.

Favorite scene that did not make the movie

Adele Lim told us there was this scene where everyone was sharing a meal.  At the time it felt like the heart of the story.  They decided to take it out and she was devastated by it.  But, somehow the scene kept alive via all the food shown in the food.  

A word on Inclusion

There are many Raya and The Last Dragon Positive Messages.  This one has to be one of them.  Adele Lim shared a couple of gems

One, “Raya’s gender is never seen as an obstacle,  never does – it is fantastic thing if only you were a man- situation arise” Plus, she shared that at any given point there is an even split of genders in the different scenes.

Two, “On my first day in Disney, I was taking the elevator from the parking lot up. There were a bunch of female story artists in there who all you know, there were Indonesians, and people from Thailand and the Philippines. And this has never happened to me in my career in Hollywood. It’s not like this team was brought together for Raya, these were already amazingly talented young artists who were already there in the story department in visual development. And so, you know, we had this wonderful cultural trust, that was helping really steep the entire team in the cultures.”

Easter Eggs

Did you catch Hei Hei from Moana in the film?  He is there!  Don Hall, explains that this character almost didn’t make it into the movie.  But, after all, they found a place for him :-).

Raya and The Last Dragon Comes Home: Bonus Features

Us Again

•  An Introduction to Us Again – Director Zach Parrish takes you behind the scenes of the
  Walt Disney Animation Studios short.
•  Us Again – An elderly man and his young-at-heart wife rekindle their passion for life on
  one magical night.

Raya And Asia

• Taste of Raya – Dine along with Kelly Marie Tran and the film’s creative team– virtually–over a Southeast Asian menu inspired by the countries that influenced the film as they discuss their experiences creating the world of Kumandra.
• Raya: Bringing it Home – When the global pandemic of 2020 hit, production of Raya and the Last Dragon moved to the houses of over 450 people. We open a window into their lives and learn how they overcame massive obstacles to make an animated feature from home.

Making Raya

•  Martial Artists – You’ll get a kick out of learning about the martial art forms and weapons used in the film as co-screenwriter Qui Nguyen and visual anthropologist Dr. S. Steve Arounsack share the inspiration behind the film’s action-packed elements.
• We are Kumandra – Meet members of the Southeast Asia Story Trust and discover the cultural influences that inspired the film…and how important this representation in a Disney animated film is to the people of the region.

Behind the Scenes and Easter Eggs

• Outtakes – Step into the homes and behind the mics of the cast of Raya and the Last Dragon as they experience voice-over sessions in closets and shaky internet connections, which made recording this film unlike any other.
• Fun Facts & Easter Eggs – Take a look at some of the hidden surprises and behind-the- scenes secrets of Raya and the Last Dragon.
• The Story Behind the Storyboard with John Ripa – Co-Director John Ripa invites you to get an inside look at his thought process as he pitches a storyboard sequence from the film and talks about his amazing career with Disney Animation.

 Deleted Scenes

• •  Introduction – Head of Story Fawn Veerasunthorn introduces deleted scenes from Raya and the Last Dragon.
  • The Bridge – Raya confronts an early version of the Druun in this deleted storyboard sequence.
  • Escaping Namaari – See an early version sequence of an introduction to Namaari as an adult.
  • Dragon Blade – Discover an early version of Raya's sword, when it used to have magical powers.
  • Meet Boun – Meet an early version of Boun before he was a chef and shrimp boat captain.
  • The Heart of the Dragon – Co-Director John Ripa introduces a deleted scene which brought the theme of hope into the film.

*bonus features vary by product and retailer

 

Disney Raya Giveaway

For a chance to view Raya and the Last Dragon at home, enter our giveaway in the form below.  We have two one time digital codes for two winners.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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