Raya and the Last Dragon to release simultaneously on Disney Plus and in cinemas

Raya and the Last Dragon will be released simultaneously in cinemas and on Disney Plus via Premiere Access. The animated movie, which features Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran as the primary protagonist, was previously a cinema-only release and follows Wonder Woman 1984 in being released on both streaming and in cinemas.

The announcement was made during a Disney investors' call, and the company was sure to highlight that Raya will be available through Premiere Access – which means that it will cost an extra $30/£20 to watch the movie through Disney Plus, the same way Mulan was made available earlier this year.

Raya and the Last Dragon tells the story of the eponymous hero who goes in search of a dragon, voiced by Awkwafina. The movie has gone through some major behind-the-scenes changes in recent months, with Tran replacing Cassie Steele as the voice of Raya, and Don Hall (Moana, Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada taking over as lead directors from Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins. Crazy Rich Asians' Adele Lim penned the original script, but Qui Nguyen was also added as a screenwriter.

During the investors' call, Disney also revealed that we can expect 10 Marvel series, 10 Star Wars series, 15 Disney live-action, Disney animation, and Pixar series, plus 15 movies over the next "few years". That's a lot of content. 

Raya and the Last Dragon was originally due to release on November 25, 2021, before being delayed until March 12, 2021. That has now been brought forward to March 5, 2021. While we wait, make sure to check out the best movies on Disney Plus available to watch right now.