A deleted scene from Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon has revealed an abandoned element that would've had a major impact on the movie's plot.
Debuted exclusively by /Film, the clip shows Raya using a sword with magical powers to defend a villager from the evil Druun. Raya's weapon was later dropped from the movie, along with the Druun's early design. In the finished film, the latter are presented as being purely shapeless mists, rather than entities that wear humanoid physical armor like the kind depicted here.
Because she doesn't have a "Dragon Blade" to fight them, Raya spends most of the movie either avoiding the Druun by traveling on water (which they cannot touch) or using a piece of Sisu's enchanted orb to repel them. This also forces her to rely on both non-violence and the cooperation of others to save the world, rather than physical force. In doing so, Raya's actions drive home the film's messages about the importance of collectivity and why building trust sometimes means putting your faith in people before they've earned it.
The "Dragon Blade" clip is among the Bonus Features included with Raya and the Last Dragon's upcoming release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD starting May 18, following its digital premiere last week. Here's the official rundown of the movie's 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.
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 is now playing in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access.
Source: /Film