Disney Releasing Raya and the Last Dragon in Theaters and on Disney+ Simultaneously

With the immediate future of theaters still uncertain, Disney is working on developing a strategy [...]

By Charlie Ridgely

With the immediate future of theaters still uncertain, Disney is working on developing a strategy for its upcoming slate of movies, including the anticipated animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. Some upcoming movies, like Black Widow, will still release in theaters, while others are sent to Disney+. It looks like Raya and the Last Dragon will be a combination of both. The new movie will be premiering in theaters and on Disney+ at the same time.

The release strategy for Raya and the Last Dragon was revealed during Thursday afternoon's Disney Investor Day presentation. The film will be released in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on March 5, 2021. This means that it will be on Disney+ the same day that it arrives in theaters, but it will cost a little bit extra to watch it.

Mulan was the first Disney+ experiment with Premier Access, and it cost folks $30 to buy access to it on the streaming service. Raya will be a bit different, however, since it will also be released in whatever theaters are open on the same day. Disney has not yet revealed if Raya and the Last Dragon will have the same Premier Access price as Mulan.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran voices the titular Raya in the film, and the actress explained to EW that her character will upend the traditional Disney Princess model.

"She is someone who is technically a princess but I think that what's really cool about this project, about this character, specifically is that everyone's trying to flip the narrative on what it means to be a princess," Tran explained. "Raya is totally a warrior. When she was a kid, she was excited to get her sword. And she grows up to be a really badass, gritty warrior and can really take care of herself."

Are you looking forward to checking out Raya and the Last Dragon in March? Let us know in the comments!

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