Raya and the Last Dragon's Sisu has something in common with Genie from Aladdin: both roles were crafted with a specific actor in mind. During a presentation about the upcoming film, the movie's directors and writers broke down the development of Sisu's character and explained what Awkwafina brought to the role, which begs comparison to Robin Williams' work with Genie.
Asked if Awkwafina's Sisu was inspired by Williams' role as Genie in Aladdin, producer Osnat Shurer said, "When we met Awkwafina, we knew, first of all, that she's an incredible actress with a wide range, and with a very professional and disciplined approach to acting. But Awkwafina fit the dragon that we were looking for -- some combination of wisdom and emotion and humor. She brings all those three things together in some magical potion. I'm touched that you compared her to Robin."
"To me, something about Awkwafina that is amazing is that in this movie, particularly, we obviously know her comedic side, and she is hilarious and has improvisational skills like no other. We have also seen her dramatic side. We have have seen her in The Farewell. We have seen all of the dramatic work that she’s done, which is also incredible," director Carlos López Estrada added. "But this movie, she gets to really travel from one end of the spectrum to the other and everything in between."
"Sisu really gives Awkwafina such a good chance to explore the wackiest of her comedy, and also just the most earnest beautiful, honest acting that had us all in tears," he teased. "I just think that it’s really great to see a Disney character that allows an actor to explore that range."
"I think the Robin Williams comparison is not a bad one, actually," director Don Hall agreed. "It's hard to imagine another actor performing the role of the Genie in the original Aladdin. It was sort of tailor-made for Robin Williams' specific gifts. I feel like we did the same thing with Sisu. Sisu was written with Awkwafina in mind, and I can't imagine somebody else as Sisu. Awkwafina is Sisu. Sisu is Awkwafina."
"Just to add a little bit to what Don was saying. Awkwafina in person, too, is like of many cultures," writer Adele Lim pitched in. "She's Asian American but her appeal is global. And we've seen that in her past projects and we definitely see that in this. So I feel like in that way, Awkwafina and Sisu have a lot of the same qualities."
"She brought so much of herself into the role," Estrada said. "You will see it when you see the movie. She improvised so many of the scenes. She would come up with different takes on jokes, or would just say, 'Let me just try a few more.' It really shows. We worked on the character thinking of her, but it was not until she stepped in that booth that she really brought her to life in a way that was really exciting to watch."
Disney's upcoming animated action/adventure feature will tell the story of a young warrior named Raya. With her giant pet pill bug, Tuk Tuk, Raya will go on a journey to find the last dragon in order to save the world. Raya and the Last Dragon's story and location draw heavily from Southeast Asian landscapes and cultures. Specific cultures that directly influenced Raya and the Last Dragon include Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and many more.
Originally planned to release in the United States on Nov. 25, Raya and the Last Dragon was postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is now set to release simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access in early March. Additionally, Disney recently revealed that the Premier Access price for Raya and the Last Dragon will be $29.99.
Directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada from a script by Adele Lim and Qui Nguyen, Raya and the Last Dragon stars Kelly Marie Tran, Awkwafina, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, Izaac Wang, Thalia Tran, Alan Tudyk, Lucille Soong, Patti Harrison and Ross Butler. The film arrives in theaters and on Disney+ Premiere Access March 5.