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Disney Introduces Animated 'Raya and the Last Dragon', New Songs from 'Frozen 2' at..
Disney Introduces Animated 'Raya and the Last Dragon', New Songs from 'Frozen 2' at D23
Disney.
A scene from 'Frozen 2.'
'Raya and the Last Dragon' is a Southeast Asia-inspired fantasy slated for a Thanksgiving 2020 release.
Disney introduced a new title, Raya and the Last Dragon, set for a Thanksgiving 2020 release, as well as new details about its Nov. 22 release Frozen 2 before an estimated 7,000 fans gathered Saturday (Aug. 24) at the company's D23 Expo in Anaheim.
Southeast Asia-inspired fantasy Raya and the Last Dragon is being written by screenwriter Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians). The title character is the fearless Raya, voiced by Cassie Steele, who goes on a quest to find the last dragon, voiced by Awkwafina. The story is set on a reimagined earth with five clans and is rendered with a painterly look.
Raya is directed by Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, and produced by Oswalt Shurer (Moana).
Jennifer Lee, who was named chief creative of Walt Disney Feature Animation following the departure of John Lasseter in 2018, introduced the Disney Feature Animation segment of the presentation, which included new details about Frozen 2, which she directed with Chris Buck.
A scene from the trailer for <em>Frozen 2.</em>
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Everything We Know About 'Frozen 2'
She noted that the sequel to their 2014 Oscar winner would answer many questions including how Elsa got her powers.
Frozen 2's returning voice cast includes Kristen Bell at Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as Olaf. Joining the voice cast is Westworld's Even Rachel Wood, who plays Anna and Elsa's mother in flashbacks, and This is Us' Sterling K. Brown as Lieutenant Mattias.
Music played an enormous role in the original 2014 Oscar winning film's success, and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who won an Oscar for Frozen's "Let it Go," are returning to write music for the sequel. Also returning is composer Christophe Beck.
In a newly-unveiled preview clip, Menzel's Elsa sings a new ballad, "Into The Unknown." And live at D23, Bell, Menzel, Gad and Groff sang a second new song from the film, which closed the D23 presentation.
Brown and Wood were also on hand for the presentation.
Lee also shares a writing credit with Allison Schroeder, and a producing credit with Frozen producer Peter Del Vecho. Buck, Lee and Del Vecho won the best animated feature Oscar for Frozen.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
