Mulan (2020)

[GeneChing]

THREADS
Super Bowl LIV
Mulan (note that I'm changing the title from Mulan - Live-Action Disney project to Mulan 2020)

[GeneChing]

As I mentioned on the Birds of Prey thread this morning, the female-strong trend in films is flopping so far. Mulan is the next up to bat (not a Harley Quinn pun, but it should be). I've got my fingers crossed for this one more than all of the others.

FEBRUARY 7, 2020 8:52AM PT
Disney Remains Committed to ‘Mulan’ Global Release, Even if China Film Biz Stays Closed
By PATRICK FRATER
Asia Bureau Chief


CREDIT: NULL

The final trailer for Disney’s Mulan was one of the highlights of the weekend’s Superbowl LIV. It was fast-moving, spectacular and seemingly well-received by fans on social media. It was also a reaffirmation of the studio’s commitment to releasing the family blockbuster in late March.

The film faces an unexpected headwind in one of its key markets: China. There, a dangerous virus outbreak has closed cinemas since the end of January and stirred up a storm of problems across the length of the entire film industry, from local production, through exhibition, to Hollywood distribution.

It would be disappointing for Disney if China cannot be part of the film’s synchronized global launch. But the studio faces an unenviable choice – leave the China release to a later date, or delay the entire global campaign until a time when the Wuhan coronavirus has died down. Not only is it currently unclear when that might be, but the film’s marketing and promotional campaign would also have to be restarted.

That would be an unwelcome additional expense on top of what may well be the most costly non-franchise movie of all time: “Mulan” has a production budget of $200 million.

A significant portion of that may have been spent giving “Mulan” the best shot at working in China, the world’s second largest theatrical market with a box office last year exceeding $9 billion.

Based on a well-known Chinese legend about a female warrior from the fourth century AD, the film-makers went back to the original source material, the folksong “Ballad of Mulan,” for inspiration for both the screenplay and the film’s design.

The title role went to Crystal Liu, a young but already celebrated singer-actress, better known in China as Liu Yifei. Other lead roles go to mainland Chinese superstars Gong Li and Jet Li, and the popular Hong Kong-based Donnie Yen.

But while “Mulan” is a story that’s culturally specific to China, it’s a movie that Disney sees as appealing to markets all around the world. Presented largely in English, and directed by New Zealander Niki Caro, the film plays up the contemporary concept of a female hero, as well as trading in adventure, spectacle and martial arts action.

Significantly, “Mulan” was not made as an official U.S.-China co-production. While a co-production might have offered the studio a greater share of the China box office revenue, the complications of working in China can outweigh the benefits. Among those is the requirement that an overseas release cannot precede the Chinese release.

As such, “Mulan” will suffer the slight disadvantage of being treated as an import into China, but Disney will enjoy the flexibility of setting its own release dates around the planet – from March 25 in Finland and France, and March 27 in North America.

Disney’s China reps had anticipated “Mulan” obtaining a slot that would have allowed a day-and-date or near simultaneous outing, concurrent with its Asian and North American sorties. But the firm had not yet received an authorized release date by the time China ground to a virus-induced halt.

If Disney is ultimately unable to include China as part of the film’s global release pattern, there is a danger that online pirated versions of “Mulan” may leak into the country. (The studio has not altered its release plans in Asia-Pacific, where there will be Chinese-language versions of the film.) Piracy could shrink or compromise the box office success of the film’s eventual China release, though the Chinese government which maintains ultimate control over the Internet in China, has the ability to stamp out much of it.

But, important as “Mulan” is for the studio, Disney has greater headaches in China brought on by the virus outbreak. On a conference call this week, Disney chairman Bob Iger warned that the group would lose out on $175 million of operating income if the Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland theme parks remain closed for two months.

THREADS
Mulan
Coronavirus

[GeneChing]

Having Jet in this and not fighting would've been a waste of talent for sure. If it's Jet's acting without fighting you want, there's always Ocean Heaven.

Mulan remake has made a big change to the Emperor
You can't just have Jet Li sitting down...
BY CHRIS EDWARDS
19/02/2020

Disney's live-action Mulan remake is going to feature a major change from the original animation – namely, an Emperor who kicks butt.

The Emperor is being played by iconic martial arts actor Jet Li (also a former Wushu champion), who'll be doing a lot more than just sitting on a throne.

Speaking to Empire, producer Jason Reed said: "Jet Li is one of the greatest Wushu masters of all time. The Emperor does not just sit on the throne and read scrolls in our movie.

"Jet himself has huge heart and palpable soul, but he's a warrior, OK? So you know at some point in the movie he's gonna get off the throne and it's gonna go down."


DISNEYYOUTUBE

We already know that the live-action remake is going to be slightly different to the original, which could make a refreshing change after the likes of The Lion King and Aladdin, which pretty much kept things exactly the same as the animations.

And in the most recent trailer for Mulan, we were given a glimpse of a brand new villain who certainly wasn't in the original.

In this version, the Huns have a powerful witch named Xian Lang at their disposal, who looks set to present a completely different type of threat.


DISNEY

Tzi Ma, who plays Mulan's father, previously told Digital Spy: "I believe this live-action film is superior to the animation, very importantly because of the leadership. Niki Caro is the director. She's bringing in this woman's point of view, which it needs to be because this movie is about a woman warrior.

"Liu Yifei, the woman who's playing Mulan, is in my mind one of the best actors out there. She's so engaging and compelling that I believe the audience will fall in love with her at first sight."

Mulan is due to be released on March 27.

[GeneChing]

I'm guessing that's not for language, nudity or drug use, so hopefully it's for...violence.

FEBRUARY 19, 2020 12:10PM PT
‘Mulan’ Is Disney’s First Live-Action Remake to Get a PG-13 Rating
By KLARITZA RICO


CREDIT: NULL

“Mulan” may not be for very young children, as it’s become the first Disney live-action remake to receive a PG-13 rating.

The new take on the Disney classic got the rating from the Motion Picture Association of America due to the “sequences of violence” apparently depicted in the film. All previous live-action remakes from the studio have received a G or PG rating, and 2017’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” was Disney’s most recent film to be labeled PG-13.

“Mulan” is straying away from the model of previous remakes like “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Cinderella.” Unlike the other live-action takes, “Mulan’s” trailers depicted the film without its famous musical numbers and removed some of the characters featured in the original 1998 animated version, including Mushu, Mulan’s dragon companion who was voiced by Eddie Murphy. Two trailers have been released, following the story of a young Chinese woman who takes her father’s place to fight for their country. The first looks reinforce the idea that the film is taking a more mature approach, showing Mulan in action on the battlefield.


Liu Yifei is starring as Mulan, with Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Gong Li, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Ron Yuan, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Nelson Lee and Chum Ehelepola rounding out the cast. Niki Caro directed, with Chris Bender, Jason Reed, and Jake Weiner producing. Barrie M. Osborne, Bill Kong and Tim Coddington serve as executive producers.

“Mulan” is set to hit theaters on March 27.

[GeneChing]

[GeneChing]

NEWS FEBRUARY 28, 2020 6:15AM PT
Hollywood Studios Assembling Coronavirus Strategy Teams
By BRENT LANG
Executive Editor of Film and Media
@https://twitter.com/BrentALang

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CREDIT: NICOLE DOVE

As coronavirus continues its deadly march across the globe, the outbreak is wreaking havoc with Hollywood’s efforts to launch major movies and shows. In the process, companies are asking employees to delay work trips to countries such as China, Japan, Italy and South Korea, the regions that have been the most affected by the disease, and they are scuttling promotional campaigns for several upcoming blockbusters.

Studios have already cancelled plans for China premieres for films such as Disney’s “Mulan” and the James Bond adventure “No Time to Die” — moves that could cost those movies tens of millions in box office revenue. Sony’s “Bloodsport” was also expected to screen in China, but that release date remains up in the air. Most of these films hadn’t gotten the official word from Chinese authorities that they would be allowed to screen in the country, but there’s little chance that will come any time soon, as movie theaters in China remain closed. There are also indications that several upcoming movies such as “Mulan,” “The Grudge,” and “Onward” will delay their release in Italy, where the number of cases recently jumped to 400. No major U.S. films will debut in the country this weekend. Globally, the disease, named COVID-19, has infected over 82,500 people and killed 2,810. Healthcare experts expect that number to climb as coronavirus continues to spread to other parts of the world.

No studios were willing to go on the record about their response to the crisis, but privately they said they were taking “a wait-and-see” approach as the number of hotspots expands. Many are in regular contact with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization as they assess the rapidly changing situation.

Most of the major studios have begun assembling advisory teams comprising members of their production, marketing, finance, and human resources staff to assess the potential impact of the disease. Part of their task is to figure out how staff in these affected areas can remain safe. In some cases, they’re encouraging people in areas where there are a growing number of cases to work from home, and helping to ensure the technology is in place to make that happen.

Another topic of discussion is the business ramifications of a health crisis that has the potential to grow into an epidemic or pandemic. Studios are trying to determine if they should move major releases to avoid debuting films in parts of the world where coronavirus is spreading. At the same time, they’re assessing what impact such moves will have on other movies that are scheduled to debut later in 2020 and 2021. Studio executives believe that the theater closures in China and Italy, as well as the spread of the disease in major markets such as South Korea could result in billions of dollars in lost ticket sales.

“Mulan,” a $200 million adventure film with a cast of Asian actors, was expected to resonate in markets such as China, where it may not play for weeks or months. Rival studios say they are watching to see how Disney handles the challenges of debuting the film at a time when theaters in some countries are closed and people are hesitant to spend time in public spaces, before determining what to do with their own upcoming releases. The Bond film, “Wonder Woman: 1984,” and the ninth “Fast & Furious” movie are among the major films debuting in the coming months that had planned robust international rollouts. Those could be impacted if the disease continues to spread. The latest 007 adventure had originally intended to take a promotional swing through China, South Korea, and Japan, but those plans have been abandoned.

So far, studios such as Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, and Disney are also still expected to attend CinemaCon along with the stars of their upcoming movies. The annual exhibition industry trade show is being held in Las Vegas at the end of March and brings attendees from across the globe — though Chinese companies have cancelled on account of the travel ban. In a note to participants this week, Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of CinemaCon, and John Fithian, head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, the group behind the convention, said they still expected the event to be well-attended.

“An encouraging measure of the impact of coronavirus is that the number of concerned emails or phone calls coming to us are minimal,” they wrote. “We are, though, inundated with our normal number of emails and calls that are all about the planning of the convention.”

Justin Kroll contributed to this report.

THREADS
Chollywood
No Time to Die
Mulan
covid-19

[GeneChing]

It has already cost us thousands, with more inevitable costs on the horizon.

Coronavirus may cost Disney’s ‘Mulan’ remake millions
The 27 March release date has been postponed in China
Ella Kemp
26 seconds ago


Liu Yifei as Mulan

Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of Mulan could face major losses amid the coronavirus outbreak which began in China.

The March 27 release date has been postponed until further notice, and the country has closed nearly 70,000 cinemas, with plans to keep them closed until at least April.

The budget for Mulan exceeds $200 million, making it the company’s most expensive adaptation to date. Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for Comscore, explained the situation to Yahoo Finance.

“China can represent a huge percentage of a film’s international and global box office revenue, so this is going to have an impact on any movie that was slated,” he said.

Niki Caro’s take on Mulan features an all-Asian cast, somewhat departing from Disney’s usual releases, and also rates as a PG-13.

“The upside is that China will release all of these movies down the road, Dergarabedian continued, “but right now the whole release slate is in flux and there are no hard dates that they can put on these films.”

Elsewhere, coronavirus has affected the theatrical box office in Italy as well, which has seen a 75% decrease in takings, against the same period last year, according to Deadline.

Over half the country’s cinema screens have been closed, as Italy now has the third-biggest number of cases after China and South Korea.


Liu Yifei (Photo by TPG/Getty Images)

Liu Yifei, who plays the eponymous hero in the upcoming Mulan, spoke on the topic of coronavirus recently to The Hollywood Reporter.

“It’s really heavy for me to even think about it,” Yifei said.

“People are doing the right thing. They are being careful for themselves and others. I’m so touched actually to see how they haven’t been out for weeks,” she said. “I’m really hoping for a miracle and that this will just be over soon.”

Mulan will be released in UK cinemas on March 27.

THREADS
Mulan (2020)
covid-19

[GeneChing]

Photographed by Ramona Rosales

Inside Disney's Bold $200M Gamble on 'Mulan': "The Stakes Couldn't Be Higher"
by Rebecca Ford February 26, 2020, 6:00am PST

The high-profile remake, with an all-Asian cast, a PG-13 rating and a politically-charged star, was always going to pose major risks. Then the coronavirus upended its entire release plan.
Liu Yifei, star of Disney's live-action remake of Mulan, lives in Beijing, but she is originally from Wuhan, epicenter of the coronavirus. In January, the 32-year-old actress left China for Los Angeles to begin press for the film, weeks before the virus' outbreak, which has now infected more than 77,000 people, killed more than 2,500 and wreaked havoc in her home country. She says she doesn't have any family or close friends personally affected by the disease — she left Wuhan when she was 10 — but the epidemic has added an impossible-to-foresee variable to her film's March 27 worldwide release.

Liu pauses when asked about the outbreak. "It's really heavy for me to even think about it," she says. "People are doing the right thing. They are being careful for themselves and others. I'm so touched actually to see how they haven't been out for weeks. I'm really hoping for a miracle and that this will just be over soon."

In China, Liu is a household name, nicknamed "Fairy Sister" for her elegance and beauty. Modeling since age 8, she broke out in the 2003 Chinese TV series Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, a commercial hit in China and the highest-rated Chinese drama in Taiwan at the time, and hasn't stopped working in film and TV since, earning fashion partnerships with Adidas, Shiseido and Armani along the way.

Disney and director Niki Caro selected Liu from more than 1,000 aspirants from around the world to star as Hua Mulan, the Chinese heroine who disguises herself as a man to fight in the Imperial Army in a film carefully designed to appeal to Western and Chinese audiences alike. But now there's a question of when Mulan will be released in China. With the coronavirus shutting down all 70,000 of the country's theaters since Jan. 24, it's unclear — and more unlikely every day — that multiplexes will reopen in time for its planned release. (Several high-profile U.S. films, including Universal's Dolittle and 1917 and Searchlight's Jojo Rabbit, saw their February releases scrapped.) "It certainly has worldwide and global appeal, but there's no denying that this is a very important film for the Chinese market," says Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian. "It's a huge blow for Disney if it doesn't release in China." Disney president of production Sean Bailey says he's "looking at it day by day."

Of course, this puts added pressure on the $200 million budgeted film — the priciest of Disney's recent live-action remakes — to perform in the U.S. and the rest of the world. Liu, who is enveloped in her own storm of controversy based on a political social media post about the Hong Kong protests, says she is trying hard not to think about all that. "It would really be a loss for me if I let the pressure overtake my possibilities," says the actress, who learned English when she lived in New York as a child for four years with her mother, a dancer, after her parents' divorce.

Even before the outbreak of the virus, Mulan — the first Disney-branded film with an all-Asian cast and the first to be rated PG-13 (for battle scenes) — would have marked one of the studio's riskiest live-action films to date. While the original 1998 Mulan was a critical and commercial hit, garnering a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination and grossing more than $300 million worldwide ($475 million today), it faltered at the Chinese box office. Part of the reason is that the Chinese government stalled its premiere for nearly a year because of lingering anger over Disney's 1997 release of Kundun, Martin Scorsese's Dalai Lama movie that dealt with China's occupation of Tibet. By the time Mulan reached theaters in late February 1999, most children had returned to school after the Chinese New Year holiday and pirated copies were widely available. For the new film, the plan was to counter piracy by releasing the movie in China the same day as the rest of the world, a strategy that's no longer possible.


Photographed by Ramona Rosales
In China, Liu is a household name, nicknamed "Fairy Sister" for her elegance and beauty. Carolina Herrera dress; Cartier earrings.

The film also has tested the ability and tolerance of Disney — which aims to be ideologically neutral — in managing global political fallout. In August, Liu stirred up a major controversy when she reposted a pro-police comment on Chinese platform Weibo (where she has more than 66 million followers) at the height of the violence in Hong Kong. Her action was seen by critics of the Chinese government as supporting police brutality; soon after, the hashtag #BoycottMulan started trending on Twitter. Liu, who has American co-citizenship from her time in the U.S., was harshly criticized around the world for supporting oppression.

"I think it's obviously a very complicated situation and I'm not an expert," she says now, cautious in the extreme. "I just really hope this gets resolved soon." When pressed, Liu, whose answer seemed rehearsed, declines to say much more, simply repeating, "I think it's just a very sensitive situation." (Bailey also deflects when asked: "Yifei's politics are her own, and we are just focused on the movie and her performance.")

"Most Chinese celebrities choose to avoid posting such political statements because of the risks to their careers internationally," says Dorothy Lau, a professor at the Academy of Film, Hong Kong Baptist University. But though Liu's post drew criticism globally, some experts believe the political drama could actually result in more support for the film in China. "At the time, the government came out in various publications supporting the film very strongly," says USC professor Stanley Rosen, who specializes in Chinese politics and society. "There's a real impetus on the part of the Chinese government to make this work. I'm sure the government is going to try to show that the boycott has had no effect." And while her comment might still anger filmgoers in Hong Kong, where the recent live-action Aladdin took in $8 million, that market is tiny compared to the mainland (total 2019 Hong Kong box office was $245 million compared with China's $9.2 billion). "Most people outside Hong Kong have likely forgotten about this controversy," says Rosen. "But the Chinese government does not forget these things."


Photographed by Ramona Rosales
Liu (left) and Caro were photographed Feb. 8 at the Houdini Estate in Los Angeles. On Caro: UNTTLD top and pants (courtesy of Neiman Marcus, Beverly Hills); ATM Anthony Thomas Melillo bodysuit; Tamara Mellon shoes; David Webb earrings. Liu: Giambattista Valli gown; Chopard earrings.

The fact that this version of Mulan is a large-scale war epic inspired more by the ancient Chinese ballad than the original animated film may also help win fans in Beijing, but the choice carries its own significant risks: The film needs to satisfy Chinese audiences raised on the legend while not disappointing a generation of fans in Asia (and elsewhere) for whom the animated film is foundational. "People would come in to audition and would say, 'Sorry, I know this is really unprofessional, but before I start, I just want you to know, the animated movie was the first time I saw someone that looked like me speak English in a movie theater,' " says producer Jason Reed. "The stakes couldn't be higher."

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[GeneChing]

Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
"I told [director] Niki [Caro] that I really want to show Mulan's complexity," says Liu. "What made her to choose her path? Was she afraid, was she hesitant?"

Mulan also represents a leap of faith in the film's director, Caro, whose previous two films boasted budgets of about 10 percent of Mulan's (The Zookeeper's Wife and Disney's 2015 sports drama McFarland USA were each in the $20 million to $25 million range). Caro, 53, was not Disney's first choice. Before hiring the New Zealand filmmaker, the studio targeted directors of Asian descent, including Taiwanese Oscar winner Ang Lee (he was busy promoting Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk) and Chinese helmer Jiang Wen. Still, Caro showcased a knack for representing cultures outside of her own with her 2002 debut Whale Rider, which follows a young Maori girl who wants to become chief, a role traditionally reserved for men.

The feminist story of Mulan resonated deeply with Caro. "When I first started wanting to be a filmmaker, there was so little precedent for women doing this [big studio] work," she says. She has now directed the most expensive live-action film by a woman, joining only a handful (Kathryn Bigelow, Ava DuVernay and Patty Jenkins) who have helmed films costing more than $100 million. "Patty changed the game with Wonder Woman. It was like a shot of adrenaline for me as a filmmaker," says Caro, who assembled a mostly female-led crew, including cinematographer Mandy Walker, costume designer Bina Daigeler, makeup designer Denise Kum and first assistant director Liz Tan.


Photographed by Ramona Rosales
Caro struggled to find an actress to play Mulan. The global hunt began in October 2016, when Caro sent a team of casting directors to each continent and virtually every small village in China. "She's a needle in a haystack, but we were going to find her," says Caro. "It's impossible to make this movie without this person." Galvan gown; Cartier bracelet.

To those still upset that an Asian filmmaker didn't get the job, Caro responds: "Although it's a critically important Chinese story and it's set in Chinese culture and history, there is another culture at play here, which is the culture of Disney, and that the director, whoever they were, needed to be able to handle both — and here I am."

Soon after Caro's hiring, rumors about the movie began to swirl online. Years of studios centering Asian movies around white protagonists (from Scarlett Johansson's Ghost in the Shell to Matt Damon's The Great Wall) meant the threat of whitewashing loomed large. An early report online claimed that the first draft, penned by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek, featured a white male protagonist.

"This is the first time I've been on a big touchstone movie with the internet what it is today. And I had a Google alert set, so I'd see these things, 'Oh, there was originally a white male lead, or they're casting Jennifer Lawrence,' and they were all just made up," says Reed, who adds that there may have been two non-Chinese characters in the initial script, but both were secondary roles.


Photographed by Ramona Rosales
"I was determined that whoever played Mulan was not going to be fragile and feminine," says Caro. "She had to pass as a man in a man's army." On Caro: Galvan gown; Cartier bracelet. On Liu: Oscar de la Renta top and skirt; David Webb necklace; Irene Neuwirth necklace.

The rumors may have been unfounded, but the fallout was real: The Lawrence-as-Mulan story sparked a 2016 petition, "Tell Disney You Don't Want a Whitewashed Mulan!" drawing more than 110,000 signatures.

Ironically, as that rumor swirled, Caro struggled to find an actress to play Mulan. The global hunt began in October 2016, when Caro sent a team of casting directors to each continent and virtually every small village in China. They were looking for an actress who could play Mulan across three phases, from a young woman unsure of her place to a soldier masquerading as a man and, finally, as an empowered warrior. She had to be fluent in English, handle the physical demands of martial arts and deliver the more emotional moments with Mulan's family. "She's a needle in a haystack, but we were going to find her," says Caro. "It's impossible to make this movie without this person."

Though the studio cast a wide multinational net, Bill Kong — a veteran Chinese producer known for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Monster Hunt who was brought on as a producer on Mulan — advised Caro that in order for this film to play well in China, not just anyone of Asian descent would work. "The first thing I told her was, 'Hire a Chinese girl. You can't hire a Japanese girl to do this,' " he says.

Actresses who made it past that initial audition were brought to Los Angeles, but, after vetting several promising candidates for months, Caro decided to start over. (The search dragged on for so long that Disney delayed the original November 2018 release date.) Eventually, Liu, who had been unavailable during the first pass because of a TV show in China, was able to audition.


Photographed by Ramona Rosales
Liu took the 14-hour flight from Beijing to Los Angeles, and the next day auditioned for Caro, reading five different scenes. "She showed such commitment and range, and passion, intelligence, and emotion," says Caro. On Caro: Christian Siriano dress; Tamara Mellon shoes. On Liu: Carolina Herrera dress; Jimmy Choo shoes; Cartier earrings.

"I was determined that whoever played Mulan was not going to be fragile and feminine," says Caro. "She had to pass as a man in a man's army." So the director and a trainer put Liu through a 90-minute physical assessment, with extreme cardio and weight exercises. Other actresses fared less well. "Boy, did they flame out," says Caro with a laugh. But Liu "never complained once, never said, 'I can't.' She went to her limits."

With Liu, Disney also found an actress who could speak English, was familiar with martial arts from her TV work in China and, most importantly, was known to the Chinese market.

While Liu spent three months training for the role in New Zealand, Caro finished up her own extensive research. She took multiple trips to China and spoke to dozens of experts — including the world's foremost specialist on Tang dynasty military strategy. She also studied the 360-word Chinese poem The Ballad of Mulan, which first told the young heroine's story. The legend, which originated in the fifth or sixth century CE, is a tale as familiar in China as the story of Joan of Arc or Paul Bunyan in the West, and it's been adapted many times into plays, operas and films.

"I certainly wasn't aware of how deeply important it is to Mainland Chinese — all children are taught it," says Caro. "She is so meaningful that many places I went, people would say, 'Well, she comes from my village.' It was wonderful to feel that profound connection — but also terrifying."

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[GeneChing]

Photographed by Ramona Rosales
With Liu, Disney also found an actress who could speak English, was familiar with martial arts from her TV work in China and, most importantly, was known to the Chinese market. Giambattista Valli gown; Chopard earrings.

As soon as the first trailers rolled out, so did the grumblings about factual inaccuracy, like the choice to situate Mulan's family in a tulou, a traditional round structure that housed several clans. These homes were mostly present in southern China, in what is now Fujian province (Mulan is said to be from the north), and would not have existed at the time she lived.

"I told [Caro] to not be too concerned about the historical accuracy," says Kong. "Mulan, though very famous, is fictional. She's not a historical person."


Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
"I don’t build the muscles for the look, for the shape," says Liu (pictured on set with Caro) of her physically training. "I really do it because I can run faster, because I can really trust in my body, in my emotion that I am a warrior and that’s all that matters."

Disney tested the film thoroughly with Chinese audiences, including its own local executives. In an early version, Mulan kissed love interest Chen Honghui (Yoson An) on a bridge when they were about to part. "It was very beautiful, but the China office went, 'No, you can't, that doesn't feel right to the Chinese people,' " says Caro. "So we took it out."

Caro and the writers, Amanda Silver and Rick Jaffa (the husband-and-wife team behind Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Jurassic World who rewrote the original script), also had to consider the passionate fans of the 1998 film. Most Disney remakes, like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, have remained loyal to the tone and structure of the animated source material while adding a new song or character. Departing from that formula wasn't a swift decision. "We had a lot of conversations about it," says Reed. Ultimately they wanted "to tell this story in a way that is more real, more relatable, where we don't have the benefit of the joke to hide behind things that might be uncomfortable and we don't break into song to tell us the subtext."


Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Liu moved to New Zealand for three months to prepare for the film. She’d begin each day with two hours of cardio, flexibility and endurance training. Then she’d do an hour of horse-riding training, an hour of dialect training in the afternoon and choreography and fight training to end the day.

They swapped the musical numbers and funny animal sidekicks for a large-scale war epic in which Mulan takes her father's place in the Imperial Army. "It's a woman's story that has been told for centuries but never by women, and we felt like it was really time to tell that story," says Silver. The question is whether Generation Z and millennials, who fell in love with these animated tales as kids and helped boost Aladdin to its $1 billion global haul, will embrace the direction. "To be honest, we really go by our gut and what creatively excites the team here," says Bailey. "I think it shows that there can be different approaches to these [movies] that have validity."

When word leaked that Mushu, the silly dragon sidekick (originally voiced by Eddie Murphy), would not be included, some fans expressed disappointment on social media. But the character's disappearance makes sense in the Chinese context. "Mushu was very popular in the U.S., but the Chinese hated it," says Rosen. "This kind of miniature dragon trivialized their culture."

Unlike its Marvel-branded films, Disney live-action movies must appeal to significantly younger audiences. Yet Caro wanted to make a real war movie. "You have to deliver on the war of it," she says, "and how do you do that under the Disney brand where you can't show any violence, gratuitous or otherwise?" She took advantage of the film's stunning locations, like setting a battle sequence in a geothermal valley, where steam could mask the fighting. "Those sequences, I'm proud of them. They're really beautiful and epic — but you can still take kids. No blood is shed. It's not Game of Thrones."


Courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc.
"My sets aren't macho in the way sets generally are because I'm female and that's the source of my strength," says Caro, with actor Tzi Ma on the set of Mulan.

Disney's past live-action performance in China is a mixed bag. Both The Lion King ($120.5 million there) and Jungle Book ($148 million) enjoyed strong showings. Aladdin earned only $53 million, while 2017's Beauty and the Beast took in just $84 million (though it earned $1.3 billion worldwide).

Of course, the expectations for Mulan in China are much higher. "They will eventually release it in China," Dergarabedian notes. "It's just a matter of when and what effect that might have." Some analysts forecast that the film could match the success of the Kung Fu Panda series. The third movie, released in 2016, earned north of $144.2 million and became the country's biggest animated film ever. It was praised for being a Hollywood film that understood and showed respect toward the Chinese culture. Panda, however, had the advantage of being a Chinese co-production, which guarantees a larger share of the market — an advantage Mulan doesn't have.

Caro thinks about the film's fate there in more than simply financial terms. "Of course it's vitally important that it succeeds in China," she says, "because it belongs to China."



Ramona Rosales
This story first appeared in the Feb. 26 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

I've been invited to a screener opening week so there will be a review. Plus I dedicated my Fast Forward to the Fight Scenes column for the SPRING 2020 entirely to Mulan.

[GeneChing]

Donnie Yen's martial arts skills made my jaw drop, says Mulan director
MARCH 03, 2020
By BRYAN LIMASIAONE


Donnie Yen (left) as Commander Tung and director Niki Caro.
Disney, Screengrab from YouTube/Walt Disney Studios

Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen may have left his iconic Ip Man role behind, but he's still kicking ass and taking names.

In his new role as Commander Tung in Disney's live-action movie Mulan, his prowess with a sword left director Niki Caro gobsmacked. She told AsiaOne via email that her jaw "hit the floor" after she witnessed his brilliant display with the weapon.


Donnie Yen as Commander Tung in Mulan. PHOTO: Screengrab from YouTube/Walt Disney Studios

Caro, 53, recounted: "One of my favourite moments on set was the first time I experienced Donnie Yen's martial arts skills in real life. As Commander Tung, he does a sword display in front of all the recruits and my jaw hit the floor.

"The way that man moves, and the way he moves his sword — (it was) so fast I literally couldn't see it move in real time. I had to shoot the sequence again in slow motion, just so I could see what he was doing. It was astonishing!"

For the adaptation of the beloved 1998 Disney animated hit, the filmmaker has assembled some of the biggest Asian names in showbiz. Aside from Donnie, heavy hitters such as Jet Li, Gong Li, and Cheng Pei-pei are also part of the production, and Caro found the experience of working with an extraordinary cast of "almost entirely ethnically Chinese representing the breadth of Chinese experience" to be a dream.


Jet Li as the Emperor and Gong Li as a powerful witch. PHOTO: Disney

She added: "Jet Li brought gravitas and heart to the role of the Emperor. Working with Gong Li on a character that's a counterpoint to Mulan was a creative highlight of working on this film. Cheng Pei-pei's brilliant comedic timing provides a fun wink and a nod for the fans of the animated classic."

As for the titular heroine, Caro asserted that no one else could have inhabited the role apart from Chinese actress Liu Yifei. Not only did Yifei embody the physicality and tenacity of Mulan, she also "raised the bar and inspired all of us".

Caro explained: "During the first round of casting, we did an extensive tour of China and found some young women that were amazing, but I never felt that we'd truly found our warrior. A year later, Yifei came to Los Angeles to meet with me, and ended up in the audition room with absolutely no sleep.

"She was required to do five dialogue scenes, one of which was five pages long, but she never faltered. I saw immediately how strong of an actor she is. Then we sent her to a gruelling physical assessment. Again, she never complained. She never quit. I knew I had found my warrior."

'CULTURAL AUTHENTICITY WAS DISCUSSED AT EVERY STEP'

Stepping in as director for a film that's culturally significant to those of Chinese descent meant Caro had to convince naysayers before her work even started, as she is of Western descent and hails from New Zealand. However, she is confident in her ability to surpass the cultural barrier based on her previous works.

With previous projects like McFarland USA (a film adaptation of the true story of a Mexican-American cross country team) and Whale Rider (a film about a Maori girl who proves to the men in her tribe and her grandfather that she can be a leader), Caro maintained that she's dedicated to "authenticity" and "collaborating across communities" to deliver "epic films with deep cultural roots".


One of the locations featured in Mulan. PHOTO: Disney

And it was the same approach she took with Mulan.

"Cultural authenticity was discussed at every step of the process. My approach was to steep myself in research and surround myself with a diverse creative team representing different perspectives on Chinese identity, culture, and people. This influenced every aspect of production, leading to authentic cultural celebration and perspective," she explained.

To honour the ballad and the Chinese culture, the research process started during the writing of the script and continued through to pre-production, production and post-production. The script was also workshopped with "a diverse group of Chinese diasporic writers" whose notes and perspectives were incorporated.


Caro (left) and Hong Kong-American actor Tzi Ma on set. PHOTO: Disney

Caro revealed that each department conducted deep research into Chinese culture, painting, history, and accounts of war, so that every detail was as authentic as possible. She said: "We researched matchmaking services, trading along the Silk Road, and the incredible beauty and diversity of China. We took the responsibility of telling this story authentically so seriously."

WHY NO MUSHU?

When details of the live-action film were announced, fans of the animated classic were dismayed to hear that the adaptation had several major differences - such as the removal of songs and characters like Captain Li Shang (Mulan's love interest) and her dragon companion Mushu.

In a recent interview with Collider, producer Jason Reed explained that Li Shang was removed in light of the #MeToo movement because they felt it was uncomfortable and inappropriate to have a commanding officer who is also a sexual love interest. Instead, the character has been split into Mulan's mentor Commander Tung and Honghui, her "equal in the squad".


Liu Yifei (left) as Mulan and Yoson An as Honghui. PHOTO: Disney

As for the songs, Caro previously said that the music from the 1998 film will be honoured in a "very significant" way. It was also recently reported that Reflection singer Christina Aguilera has recorded new material for the movie, including a new take on the iconic ballad.

But when it came to Mushu, Caro explained to us that his removal was to make certain elements of the animated classic "more relevant for audiences today".

Caro added: "But we still love the humour and companionship for Mulan that he brought to the animated classic, so we found those traits in some new characters. We hope the fans will enjoy this new take!"

Mulan opens in Singapore on March 26.

THREADS
Mulan (2020)
Donnie Yen: Uber Awesome !!

[GeneChing]

Who makes up these predictive stats? Are they ever on the mark?

BOX OFFICE MARCH 5, 2020 8:44AM PT
Box Office: ‘Mulan’ Eyes Huge $85 Million-Plus Opening Weekend
By REBECCA RUBIN
News Editor, Online
@https://twitter.com/rebeccaarubin


CREDIT: NULL
Despite fears that coronavirus could impact moviegoing across the globe, Disney’s “Mulan” is expected to pull off solid opening weekend ticket sales at the domestic box office.

According to early estimates, the live-action remake should collect $85 million when it debuts in U.S. theaters on March 27, though some tracking services predict that number could reach above $90 million. The higher end of that range would put it in the company of the studio’s recent “Aladdin” reboot, which debuted to $91.5 million last May.

“Mulan” cost $200 million to make, meaning it’ll need to bank on global appeal to turn a profit. That could prove problematic since theaters in China, where “Mulan” was expected to strongly resonate, have been closed due to threats of coronavirus. So far, the U.S. box office doesn’t appear to be threatened by the novel virus that’s infected and killed thousands.

Though coronavirus has already hurt the movie business in China, South Korea and Italy, Disney has no plans to alter the release date for “Mulan.” However, a studio spokesperson said the film will open in certain foreign markets at a later date. It was announced on Wednesday that the launch of the James Bond movie “No Time to Die” would be postponed, from April to November, because so many multiplexes are closed in areas like China, where the disease has been the most prevalent. So far, no other major movies have plans to postpone or alter release plans.

Niki Caro directed “Mulan,” which stars Chinese actress Liu Yifei as the eponymous heroine. Like the original animated version, “Mulan” centers on a warrior who disguises herself as a man to spare her elderly father from having to serve in the army. It’s the first of Disney’s live-action remakes to be rated PG-13, due to sequences of violence. The non-PG rating could limit younger audiences from buying tickets.

Disney’s live-action remakes have debuted to mostly huge commercial success. “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast” all cracked $1 billion at the global box office, while “The Jungle Book” grossed over $950 million. However, “Dumbo” ended its theatrical run with $353 million worldwide, disappointing receipts — if only by Disney’s standards.

THREADS
Mulan
Coronavirus

[GeneChing]

NEWS MARCH 6, 2020 6:00AM PT
Christina Aguilera Releases New ‘Mulan’ Song, Has ‘Reflection’ Reboot on Deck
By CHRIS WILLMAN
Music Writer
@https://twitter.com/ChrisWillman


CREDIT: CHELSEA LAUREN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Although the new remake of “Mulan” isn’t a musical like the original, one key music component from Disney’s animated version is back. Christina Aguilera has done her own remake of “Reflection,” which was her first single when she recorded it for the 1998 film. It’s joined on the forthcoming “Mulan” soundtrack (out March 25) by a newly written song, “Loyal Brave True,” which was released to digital services Friday.

News of the two fresh recordings was confirmed in an announcement Friday, although Aguilera had already let the “Reflection” cat out of the bag to attendees of at least one of her Las Vegas residency shows last week as she introduced her live rendition of the 22-year-old tune.

“Loyal Brave True” was written by Jamie Hartman, Harry Gregson-Williams, Rosi Golan and Billy Crabtree; Hartman produces. Gregson-Williams, who also wrote the new movie’s instrumental score, is the producer of “Reflection (2020).” The director of the new “Mulan,” Niki Caro, has directed music videos for both songs that Disney says will be out later in March. Gregson-Williams’ score is said to incorporates instrumental elements from both Aguilera tunes.


The original “Reflection” did not make any charts when it was released in 1998, but the popularity of the animated “Mulan” still put it — and Aguilera — on the map, so that she was a known quantity, especially to a demographic of young girls, when she broke through with her first radio smash, “Genie in a Bottle,” a year later, in the glory days of teen-pop.

“The film ‘Mulan’ and the song ‘Reflection’ coincided with getting me my first record deal,” Aguilera pointed out in a statement. “It’s amazing to come back to such an incredible movie that’s full of power and meaning, and that meaning holds the test of time: staying true to yourself, being who you are, and teaching how to be fearless. My new song, ‘Loyal Brave True,’ represents the fine balance between vulnerability and strength.”

Said Mitchell Leib, president of music and soundtracks for Walt Disney Studios, “Her original performance of ‘Reflection’ from the animated film when she was a then 16-year-old unknown holds its appropriate place in the history of music and was a launch pad for her unparalleled career that would follow. … I think these songs will touch today’s moviegoers in that powerful way we saw 22 years ago.”

Prior to making “Reflection” part of her Las Vegas residency, Aguilera had sung it last year at Disney’s D23 Expo 2019 Legends awards ceremony, where she accepted an award (see video below).

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Aguilera’s original 1998 recording of “Reflection” (written, like the rest of the animated film’s song score, by David Zippel and Matthew Wilder):

I forgot about this song.

[GeneChing]

THREADS
Mulan (2020)
Kung-Fu Music