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Thread: Mulan (2020)

  1. #76
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    Remember that HK Protest?

    Boycott Mulan, anyone? Brie Larson, The Rock face backlash after tweeting support for Disney film starring Crystal Liu Yifei
    Hollywood stars’ social media posts looking forward to release of Disney’s Mulan, starring Crystal Liu Yifei, prompt acid response from Hong Kong internet users
    That’s because in August, the Chinese-American actress voiced support for Hong Kong police – accused of acts of brutality – amid anti-government protests
    SCMP Reporter
    Published: 4:11pm, 9 Mar, 2020


    Workers man a promotional stand for the Disney move Mulan in an almost empty shopping mall in Beijing. The film’s release in China and Hong Kong has been postponed amid the coronavirus outbreak. Some Hong Kong film fans are unlikely to welcome its eventual release. Photo: AFP

    Hollywood stars Brie Larson and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson became the latest focus of Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters after showing their enthusiastic support for the upcoming movie Mulan on social media.
    Disney’s live-action remake of the popular 1998 animated film has been a lightning rod for many Hong Kong cinema-goers – and the target of a boycott campaign – since August 2019, when the film’s Chinese-American star Crystal Liu Yifei voiced support for the Hong Kong police, frequently accused of using excessive force and perpetrating brutality on citizens during the increasingly violent protests.
    So when Larson, best known for her portrayal of the superhero Captain Marvel and her Oscar-winning role in Room , showed her passionate anticipation for Mulan on Friday, many Hong Kong internet users were swift to respond.
    Under Larson’s tweet, “I cannot wait to see this movie. Every trailer has made me burst into tears.”, one of the most liked replies reads, “You know what makes Hong Kongers burst into tears every night? #HKPoliceBrutality, a #HumanRightsViolations that #Mulan lead actress #LiuYifei openly supports.”

    Brie Larson

    @brielarson
    · Mar 5, 2020
    I cannot wait to see this movie. Every trailer has made me burst into tears. https://twitter.com/thr/status/1235601603027259392

    The Hollywood Reporter

    @THR
    Disney's #Mulan is targeting a heroic U.S. debut of $85 million or more, according to early tracking http://thr.cm/eIKycg0

    #SOSHK Fight for Hong Kong
    @Fight4HongKong
    You know what makes Hong Kongers burst into tears every night?#HKPoliceBrutality, a #HumanRightsViolations that #Mulan lead actress #LiuYifei openly supports.#BoycottMulan

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    Another reply reads: “Disney is bursting into tears tooCrying face #LiuYifei has single handedly ruined the box office. Her decision to disrespect #HumanRights and openly supporting #China backed #PoliceBrutality in HK … well … led to big time #BoycottMulan.”
    Dwayne Johnson has been attracting similar feedback after he tweeted on Friday, “Been waiting for this one! Pumped to see it! Great job team @asadayaz”. Asad Ayaz is the president of marketing of the Walt Disney Studios.

    Dwayne Johnson

    @TheRock
    · Mar 5, 2020
    Been waiting for this one! Pumped to see it! Great job team @asadayaz
    https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...us-bow-1282674

    'Mulan' Tracking for Heroic $85M-Plus U.S. Opening
    Disney's latest live-action remake of a classic animated movie opens in late March.

    hollywoodreporter.com
    Lai King
    @laiking7394
    Mulan actress Liu Yifei supports police brutality in Hong Konghttps://time.com/5653973/mulan-boycott-liu-yifei/ …


    Here's What to Know About the Mulan Boycott
    The actor playing Mulan in Disney's live-action reboot was met with a backlash after voicing support for the Hong Kong police

    time.com
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    Meanwhile, the Hong Kong branch of Walt Disney Studios has announced that the film’s release in the city, slated for March 26, had been postponed until further notice. “We will announce a new release date soon, depending on the situation surrounding Covid-19. Please stay tuned,” read a statement from the studio, referring to the global coronavirus epidemic.
    finance
    Unlike those in mainland China, Hong Kong cinemas have remained open throughout the epidemic; in the coming two weeks, at least 10 new films are scheduled to open in the city. Asked for comment on the postponement of Mulan’s release in Hong Kong, Disney’s Hong Kong office declined to add to its earlier statement.
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  2. #77
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    The Fairy Princess

    Crystal killin it.


    Mulan Star Liu Yifei’s Hollywood Red Carpet Debut Was Fit for a Disney Princess

    BY JANELLE OKWODU
    March 10, 2020


    Photo: Getty Images

    Who doesn’t love a little Disney magic? The studio that brought the world classic cartoons like The Lion King and The Little Mermaid continues to update its library through live-action remakes. Last night in Hollywood, the world got a preview of its latest, an action-packed retelling of Mulan directed by Whale Rider scribe, Niki Caro. The world premiere served as a coming-out party for the film’s star, Liu Yifei, who shined bright in a look from Elie Saab's fall/winter 19 couture collection. Already a significant celebrity in Asia, the Chinese-American actress and singer beat out thousands for the lead role, and in Saab’s voluminous “phoenix dress,” it’s easy to understand why. The gown with its miles of gold brocade, built-in corset, and impressive beadwork was a magical creation, one that required charisma. A less confident wearer would be overshadowed by the expansive train and embroidered mythological creatures, but Yifei pulled it off beautifully.


    Photo: Getty Images

    Disney’s leading ladies often draw inspiration from its onscreen traditions; when Lily James debuted Cinderella in 2015, she too went for a Saab-designed couture piece in ice blue to mirror the wardrobe of her famous character. Likewise, Elle Fanning spent much of her Maleficent promo in frothy Rodarte looks of which Sleeping Beauty would approve. Even, Aladdin’s Naomi Scott, a fan of daring labels like Richard Quinn and JW Anderson, went full princess in bubblegum pink Brandon Maxwell at the film's premiere last year. Yifei and stylist, Samantha McMillan, were also influenced by fairy tales, but the phoenix motif added a thoughtful nod to Chinese culture. A symbol of grace and harmony, it has been featured in artwork since the neolithic period and remains popular.

    Even without the symbolism, Yifei's gown packs a visual punch. Heavy on the sequins, sparkle, and Saab's signature beading, it made for a dazzling entrance and a fashion moment worthy of a Disney princess.
    The phoenix is in the trailer...
    Gene Ching
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  3. #78
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    Hollywood impact

    Mulan is still on at this point. I'm scheduled to go to the screener soon.

    Hollywood Coronavirus Cancellations: A List of Film, TV, and Entertainment Events Impacted By Pandemic
    Posted on Thursday, March 12th, 2020 by Ethan Anderton



    The coronavirus strain known as COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon, and the spread of the infection has already been classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization. This has resulted in the cancellation and postponing of many major film, TV and entertainment events around the world, as well as shutting down certain film and TV productions, or at the very least changing how they operate. Because the updates are coming so fast and fierce, we’ll be keeping an updated list as new coronavirus cancellations and interruptions are announced each day.

    Coronavirus Cancellations (Constantly Updated)
    We will update this list as required. The dates signify when the cancellation took place with information gathered from various sources, including and especially USA Today and IndieWire, who have been keeping track of the ongoing cancellations and delays.


    March 12
    Fast and Furious 9 (F9) Release Delayed to 2021 – Universal Pictures has decided to delay the global release of Fast and Furious 9 by an entire year. It is now slated to open in April 2, 2021 in North America, but specific international dates were not revealed at this time.

    The Lovebirds Release Delayed – Variety reports Paramount Pictures has delayed the romantic comedy The Lovebirds starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. Originally slated for release on April 3, the movie now has new release date.

    A Quiet Place Part II Release Delayed – The worldwide release of A Quiet Place II was reported by Deadline. Originally intended for release overseas starting on March 18 and in the US on March 20, but the movie has yet to be given a new release date. Get more in our full story.

    Scott C’s Great Showdowns Gallery Events Canceled – Scott C’s latest art show at Gallery 1988 is canceling all in-gallery events, as well as a planned global scavenger hunt for prints, but will still have scheduled print releases and livestreams.

    Universal Television Delays Production on Shows – Deadline reports the second seasons of Netflix’s Russian Doll and AppleTV+’s Little America, as well as the first season of Rutherford Falls for Peacock, have all been delayed due to coronavirus concerns. Most of the shows require international travel, which is largely why the decision was made to delay production start.

    Broadway Usher Tests Positive for Coronavirus – A part-time Broadway usher who worked at the productions of Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? at the Booth Theatre between March 3 and March 7 and Six at the Brooks Atkinson on the evening of February 25 and the afternoon of March 1 has tested positive for coronavirus.

    Both of the productions will continue, according to Deadline, and the two theater owners, Shubert Organization, owner of the Booth, and the Nederlander Organization, owner of the Brooks Atkinson, said the venues will have a deep cleaning performed. However, if any ticket holders wish to exchange for a future performance instead, they may do so.
    continued next post
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    Continued from previous post

    March 11
    California Governor Urges Cancellation of Large Gatherings – The Los Angeles Times reported that California Governor Gavin Newsom and state health official are recommending and urging the cancellation of upcoming gatherings of 250 or more people across the entire state in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus. This recommendation does not come with the force of law to stop these events, but that could change if the coronavirus situation continues to get worse.

    Hollywood Agencies and Companies Starting to Work Remotely – Deadline reports Hollywood talent agencies like CAA, UTA, ICM Partners and Paradigm are making adjustments to have their employees work from home in order to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

    Meanwhile, Viacom, who owns Paramount Pictures, MTV, Comedy Central and more, said they will start testing whether or not they can have their employees also working from home instead of going into offices at this time.

    Cinema Con 2020 Canceled – Variety reported the cancellation of CinemaCon 2020, the annual trade show for theater owners from around the world where the latest developments and advances in exhibition, distribution, marketing, publicity, advertising, social media, theater equipment and concessions are showcased. The event was slated to take place from March 30 through April 2.

    Here’s the official statement from John Fithian and Mitch Newhauser from the National Association of Theater Owners:

    “It is with great regret we are announcing the cancellation of CinemaCon 2020. Each spring, motion picture exhibitors, distributors and industry partners from around the world meet in Las Vegas to share information and celebrate the moviegoing experience. This year, due to the travel ban from the European Union, the unique travel difficulties in many other areas of the world and other challenges presented by the Coronavirus pandemic, a significant portion of the worldwide motion picture community is not able to attend CinemaCon. While local outbreaks vary widely in severity, the global circumstances make it impossible for us to mount the show that our attendees have come to expect. After consultation with our attendees, trade show exhibitors, sponsors, and studio presenters, NATO has decided therefore to cancel CinemaCon 2020. We look forward to continuing the 10-year tradition of presenting the largest movie theater convention in the world and joining our attendees in future celebrations of the moviegoing experience.”

    PaleyFest 2020 Postponed – The annual television showcase of some of the biggest and best television shows has been postponed with new dates for the festival yet to be announced. Shows like Modern Family, The Mandalorian, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Boys, Star Trek: Picard, Schitt’s Creek, and more were slated to be featured at the festival, but they will have to wait for the event to be rescheduled. Here’s the full statement from the Paley Center for Media:

    “As you are aware, the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to remain of the utmost public concern. For several weeks now, the Paley Center, along with our venue host, The Dolby Theatre, has monitored the situation closely, staying in daily contact with local, state, and federal partners, as well as following the recommendations issued by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and following the guidelines of the local health department. Based on the most recent news and out of an abundance of concern, we have made the difficult decision to postpone this year’s PaleyFest. While we were looking forward to presenting another stellar lineup of PaleyFest events, the safety of our event participants, guests, and staff is the highest priority. We are exploring options to reschedule the festival and all ticket purchases will be honored for the new dates.”

    NBA Suspended 2019-20 Basketball Season – The NBA announced the suspension of the current season of basketball after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The news came just before the Utah Jazz were set to play an away game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Gameplay will be suspended entirely until further notice and will determine when they can resume play as the coronavirus situation develops.

    Talk Shows Avoid Having Studio Audiences – Deadline confirmed New York’s late night network talk shows The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show with Trevor Noah will not have studio audiences for their tapings. In addition, cable talk shows Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and Watch What Happens with Andy Cohen will follow suit.

    Los Angeles talk shows have not announced any sweeping changes to their recording plans yet with live audiences, but The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The View and Live With Kelly And Ryan will not film with audiences either. Conan is currently on a two-week hiatus, but their filming plans could easily change in the future.

    Riverdale Production Suspended – Production on The CW series was suspended after a person working on the show was recently in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Warner Bros. TV told Deadline:

    “We are working closely with the appropriate authorities and health agencies in Vancouver to identify and contact all individuals who may have come into direct contact with our team member,” the statement continued. “The health and safety of our employees, casts and crews is always our top priority. We have and will continue to take precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world.”

    Survivor Production Delayed – CBS has delayed the production of the next two seasons of Survivor. As of now the premiere dates for those seasons in September 2020 and February 2021 have not been delayed, but that could change if the production does not begin with enough time to spare. Read our full story on the matter over here

    HBO’s Night of Too Many Stars Postponed – USA Today reported the event hosted by Jon Stewart and presented by HBO in partnership with NEXT for AUTISM has been pushed back. The show was slated to take place on April 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. No new date has been set yet.

    Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Postponed – Variety reported annual awards show from Nickelodeon where kids pick their favorite movies, TV shows, movie stars, musicians and more has been postponed until further notice. No new date has been set yet.

    E3 (The Electronic Entertainment Expo) Canceled – Kotaku reported the tradeshow for video games slated to take place from June 9 through June 11 has been canceled. In place of the event, there will be “an online experience to showcase industry announcements and news in June 2020.”

    GLAAD Awards Canceled – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation announced the cancellation of their awards intended to take place on March 19. It’s not clear if thy will be rescheduled.

    Adam Sandler Postpones March Comedy Tour Dates – In a post to Twitter, the comedian announced that March tour dates would be postponed until a later time. It is not clear when they will be rescheduled and more dates could be canceled.

    March 10
    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Production Halted – The Marvel Studios series was slated to shoot an entire week in Prague, but they stopped before finishing due to spreading coronavirus concerns. It is not clear when and where production will finish the scenes meant to be shot there. Get more in our full story.

    Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway Release Delayed – Deadline reported the global release of the children’s movie sequel has been pushed back to August 7 by Sony Pictures.

    Game Shows Filming Without Audiences – Deadline reported Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune announced they would be taping episodes without live studio audiences, especially since much of the audiences of those shows consists of older viewers more susceptible to coronavirus.

    March 6
    SXSW Festival Canceled – The movie, TV, music and tech festival was canceled by the city of Austin one week before the event was slated to begin on March 13. Festival organizers may reschedule the festival, but the cancellation has created severe problems for them, and it might prevent the fest from returning in 2021.

    March 4
    No Time to Die Global Release Delayed – Sony Pictures made the decision to delay the global release of No Time to Die from April to November. The film will now open in the UK on November 12 and in the US on November 25. Read more in our full story over here.

    February 24
    Mission: Impossible 7 Production Halted in Italy – After the outbreak worsened significantly in Italy, USA Today reported Paramount Pictures chose to halt production on Mission: Impossible 7. It’s not clear when/if shooting will still take place there in the future.
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  5. #80
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    Mulan delayed

    Quote Originally Posted by GeneChing View Post
    Mulan is still on at this point. I'm scheduled to go to the screener soon.
    Aw ******. I got my screener cancellation notification first thing this morning.

    'Mulan' Release Pushed Back Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
    MARCH 12, 2020 2:50PM by Mia Galuppo

    The Disney movie was set to hit theaters in North America on March 27.

    Disney is pushing the release of its upcoming live-action tentpole Mulan amid growing concerns around the coronavirus, the studio said Thursday. The movie was set to hit theaters in North America on March 27.

    Also being pushed is the long-delayed New Mutants, which was due out April 3 via 20th Century Studios, and the Guillermo del Toro-produced Antlers, which was set for an April 17 release via Searchlight Pictures.

    Disney is looking into new release dates for all of the titles later this year.

    Mulan director Niki Caro posted on her personal instagram about the release date push, writing, "We are so excited to share this film with the world, but given the current ever-shifting circumstances we are all experiencing, unfortunately, we have to postpone the worldwide release of Mulan for now. Our hearts are with everyone the world over who is affected by this virus, and we hope that Mulan’s fighting spirit will continue to inspire those who are working so hard to keep us all safe."

    Mulan is the latest studio release to be pushed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Universal postponed the ninth Fast & Furious film by a year, while Paramount dealyed the release of the Issa Rae-starring comedy The Lovebirds and A Quiet Place Part II.

    While no theaters are yet closed in the U.S. because of the coronavirus, there is growing concern that some cinemas could go dark in areas where cases of COVID-19 are proliferating, or where business has slowed. That is in addition to the ongoing blackout on moviegoing in China. (Mulan did not yet have a Chinese release date.)

    California Gov. Gavin Newsom late Wednesday recommended canceling or postponing gatherings of 250 or more people "at least through March" as the state grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. The recommendation directly impacts larger auditoriums, which may have to stagger seating.




    The Hollywood Reporter
    MIA GALUPPO
    mia.galuppo@thr.com
    @miagaluppo
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  6. #81
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    Alas...racists.

    3.13.2020
    AND THEN THEY CAME AFTER MULAN
    And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



    So yeah, this happened.
    This Mulan poster, spotted in Pasadena, California, was defaced with graffiti. If you can't make it out, that's a mask spray-painted on her face and the words "TOXIC. MADE IN WUHAN." Yes, I know there are people boycotting this movie because of Liu Yifei's remarks in support of Hong Kong police. This is not about that.
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  7. #82
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    On a positive note...

    ...I stand with China on this one.

    ASIA MARCH 13, 2020 7:57PM PT
    China’s ‘Mulan’ Fans Welcome News Of Release Delay
    By REBECCA DAVIS


    CREDIT: CHELSEA LAUREN/SHUTTERSTOCK

    “Mulan” fans in mainland China on Friday welcomed the news that Disney will postpone the global release of the new live-action blockbuster, happy that they’ll likely now get the chance to see the film in theaters in sync with the rest of the world.

    The new “Mulan” was scheduled to release worldwide outside of China, one of Disney’s most crucial overseas markets, on March 27. Chinese cinemas have been closed since late January due to the coronavirus epidemic.

    Disney’s potentially costly decision to move ahead without China came despite the firm’s efforts to specifically cater to mainland audiences in its new retelling of the classic Chinese ballad, particularly in the decision to cast popular China-born starlet Liu Yifei as the titular heroine.

    Chinese fans took to social media on Friday to express their relief that the film had been pulled — both for health reasons, and out of fears of piracy and spoilers as the last ones to get a theatrical release.

    “Thank god!!!! Now I won’t be spoiled,” said one poster to China’s Twitter-like Weibo platform. Another enthused: “Finally they’ve pulled it! They should’ve done so long ago. Now everyone can watch it at the same time together.”

    Most wrote of their support for the decision to prioritize health concerns. “Safety first! We’ll pull out the red carpet for the film at a better time,” wrote one commenter, adding: “Maybe now you can do the premiere in China?” The film had its initial U.S. debut in Hollywood on March 9.

    By Friday evening, the Weibo hashtag “Mulan Global Release Cancelled” had been viewed 630 million times.

    Disney released all four of its 2019 live action remakes in the mainland last year. China was the highest grossing overseas territory for October’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” ($48.8 million) and July’s “The Lion King” ($120 million), and the second largest foreign market for May’s “Aladdin” ($112 million) and March’s “Dumbo” ($21.9 million).

    Directed by New Zealand’s Niki Caro, “Mulan” is most expensive live-action feature to ever be helmed by a woman, with a budget of at least $200 million. It will obviously be seeking to earn big in China, one of the world’s most censorious nations where these days, it’s hard for any cultural phenomenon to sidestep t***** politics.

    Earlier, the film had come under fire after Liu publicly expressed support across all her social media channels for the Hong Kong police force accused of excessive violence in attempts to quell pro-democracy protests there, leading for some to call for a boycott of the title.

    More recently, she’s come under fire on mainland social media from Chinese nationalist trolls who have criticized local fans for identifying with and taking pride in a star who technically gave up her Chinese nationality to gain a U.S. passport.

    “Liu Yifei is too miserable — beyond the Great Firewall [of internet censorship] the pro-Hong Kongers smear her, and within the Great Firewall the nationalists smear her,” joked one Weibo commenter.

    Some former detractors gave her credit, however, for openly saying on her promotional tour that she hails from Wuhan, the city at the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic where the disease originated.

    “She’s the only one who dares to say in front of the world media that she’s a Wuhan native, so I’m a fan of her. Domestically right now, how many from Wuhan would dare openly admit that’s where they’re from?” read one post. People from Wuhan have been subject to extreme stigma since the start of the virus. Particularly in the early, panic-striken days of the epidemic, many ended up outcasts shunned by their peers and neighbors, kept out of hotels and even specially tracked and registered by the authorities — even in other parts of the country.

    Beyond “Mulan,” a growing list of other films have recently canceled their scheduled debuts due to coronavirus concerns, including Disney’s “New Mutants” and “Antlers,” Paramount’s “A Quiet Place 2” and “The Love Birds,” and Universal Studios’ “Fast & Furious 9.”

    “Mulan” marks the third film starring Chinese superstar Gong Li to be pulled in almost as many months, after Lou Ye’s “Saturday Fiction” — which debuted at Venice — was pulled from its expected Chinese theatrical release in December, presumably for censorship reasons, and Peter Chan’s highly anticipated volleyball film “Leap” cancelled its Chinese new year sortie just as the coronavirus situation was heating up.

    But many Chinese fans say that neither the virus nor the delay will dampen their enthusiasm for Mulan. “A good meal won’t spoil just because it’s served a bit late. A good film will always catch the world’s attention, whenever it comes out,” one wrote online.
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  8. #83
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    Remember that premiere?

    HOLLYWOOD INSIDER
    ‘Mulan’ cast on women empowerment, racism and the COVID-19 pandemic

    Published March 12, 2020 10:50am
    By JANET SUSAN R. NEPALES

    Los Angeles — Coming perfectly on the heels of the #MeToo movement and the cries for equal pay for women and women representation in the movie industry is the classic story of Mulan.

    New Zealander filmmaker Niki Caro (“Whale Rider,” 2002) brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s “Mulan” which stars the 32-year-old actress Liu Yifei as the fearless female warrior who takes the place of her ailing father, masquerading as a man, and fighting against and with men.

    Also starring Jet Li as the Emperor and Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, the movie is the live-action feature of the animated 1998 version where our very own Lea Salonga was the singing voice of Mulan.

    Liu Yifei, who was born in Wuhan, Hubei, China, does a lot of action scenes in this version. Although also a singer, Liu does not sing in this movie. In fact, expect no singing from this live-action adaptation of the classic animated film.

    After doing a lot of Chinese TV shows, Liu Yifei graduated to doing films like “The Forbidden Kingdom” (2008) with Jackie Chan and Jet Li and “The Assassins” (2012) with Chow Yun-Fat and “Outcast” (2014) with Nicolas Cage.


    The cast of Disney's Mulan. Photo courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

    Jet Li, 56, who was at one time considered the heir to the late Bruce Lee and who made films like the “Shaolin Temple” franchise and “The Expendables” (2010) with action stars Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham, came out of retirement and returned to the big screen to play the Chinese emperor in “Mulan.”

    On the other hand, Donnie Yen, 56, from Canton, China, is a martial arts master who got his first big break when he appeared with Jet Li in “Once Upon a Time in China II” and also teamed up with Jackie Chan in “Shanghai Knights” in 2003.

    We recently interviewed these talented actors and director in downtown Los Angeles and below are excerpts of our conversations with them:

    Liu Yifei


    Liu Yifei at the premiere of Disney's Mulan. Photo courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

    Why is it so important for you to do this version of this movie?

    I’m so happy and thankful for this beautiful opportunity because I think it opens up my imagination and it really is telling me that I’m on the right path.

    When they’re asking me what is your goal as an actress — this is a very big question — I always say, don’t limit yourself. And some people might not get what I say but I’m not that kind of person. And this is showing that I’m on my right path and I love acting so much I would never give up and I enjoy every moment. And I’m happy that Mulan as this character, she too, she never gives up, she had the courage to look deep inside herself and to make choices to be the best version of her.

    When you were making the film, were you thinking of both American and Chinese audiences?

    The process is you don’t think about it. I don’t know if Niki agrees with me or if you agree with me, but my own process is, I can’t think of the result because it’s just so pure, the passion for the movie. You have to lose yourself and throw yourself in that character so you can’t think of anything else.

    But to the result, I think if it’s a good movie, if the character herself is convincing then for both countries or for the world, it’s the same.

    It's a story where women are empowered but at the same time conveying traditions are much more ingrained in a patriarchal society. How do you combine that?

    I totally agree. There is no definition for I love you therefore because. I love you just because I love you. For a daughter, as a father, as a lover, that is so…it’s really the same for everything. And I love the openness of the story; I love to discover all the possibilities in that story because even though I’m Chinese, even though I play different characters, each character for me is a brand new journey.

    I learned Mulan too, it’s not just oh you’re from China, you know her. No, for this journey I had to learn all the conflict and every detail that’s in her mind. I’m trying to put the pictures together. And I think we can do great things without knowing and accept who we really are. If we embrace everything we have and we do, we are going to achieve more.

    You are originally from Wuhan. Do you still have family there? Your thoughts?

    Thank you so much for your care in asking. My grandma, she is still in Wuhan and she’s doing great, thank you. People are being really careful. They’re really aware of themselves and being careful for others too. For me, I just really hope that this will work out soon and things will get better everyday.

    Who inspired you in your career?

    It’s Stanislavski. I think all the actors really have to thank him for what he’s done all his life.

    Can you tell us about the audition process you had to go through?

    Even in my wildest dreams I never really imagined that I would work with a woman director who is talented in this scale of a big movie, that’s happening now. So if you ask me if I am nervous, of course I’m nervous.

    But on the other hand, I had to ask myself: Why do you want to audition? Is it just because this is a huge movie, what do you want? So I asked for a script to look at and it took me one day, the whole day, to process.

    And then even to audition I did my homework; I wrote down notes throughout the flight. And I’m so sure that it’s me…no, I’m going to bring the strength and the acting in that day. But all I can do is just throw myself in that experience. I can’t think of any results.

    And then after that, I went through the physical training. It’s also very interesting. Everything I do they had to record. You’re like, ok, I did an ok audition, a good audition, I don’t want to ruin it with less pushups, you have to push yourself so hard. And every time I am done with something the trainer will write something on that book, this thick, writing specific things, I don’t know what he’s writing.

    What kind of inner motivation did you find in yourself to justify the action of Mulan or to be Mulan? You have to have some experience in your life.

    What you say is one point, experience of yourself but I’m looking for something that is present. Because memory itself, of course memory is important but it’s always something you already had.

    To learn a new experience means a whole other group of new surprises. Every night when I do my homework for the character, throughout my way, and if I find something new that passion can get me through tomorrow’s whole day training. That’s just really inner strength and I love that I feel for, the emotion that I felt for the character would really push me through all the journey that I need for training or for shooting. That feeling is here in my heart.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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    Continued from previous post

    Niki Caro


    Courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

    When you were making the film, do you have to think of both American and Chinese audiences?

    My whole career I’ve made movies outside of my culture, beginning with “Whale Rider.” I’ve developed a way of working where I prioritize being authentic and being specific to that culture. I realize when I do that, it becomes universal.

    It was very easy actually. With this movie, the first thing I did was go to China and experience that incredible country for the first time. Then across departments right through pre-production, production, even post-production, a deep research into the culture so that we could get as specific and authentic as possible.

    Why is it so important for you to do this version of this movie?

    For me, it was such a privilege to tell a story that’s been relevant for hundreds and hundreds of years, over a millennia really. To tell it in live action in 2020, to commit to the real journey of a young woman who goes to war to save her father’s life, disguises herself as a man and then commits to her own authentic power and fights as a woman, to tell that story now feels very relevant.

    To be a female director who tells it now is even more relevant because like Mulan, I connected to my own power as a woman to tell it. I don’t disguise myself as a man to direct movies. I don’t direct movies as a man would. I direct them as a woman does.

    There’s a line in the film that Gong Li’s character says to Mulan, "it’s impossible for a woman to be leading a man’s army." And I love that line. That line speaks to me because that’s my job; I lead a man’s army. But this army, and it was a mighty army, my filmmaker army, all my generals were women. So it’s a very female-lead storytelling and I’m so happy and satisfied and I was particularly so on International Women’s Day to have an example of what a movie looks like when it’s run by women. It looks like this, it’s this big, it’s this spectacular, the action is this adrenalized and it has I hope depth and emotion. I’m very proud of it.

    You are telling a story where women are empowered but at the same time conveying traditions that are much more ingrained in a patriarchal society. How do you combine that?

    What you define as patriarchal is also deeply cultural and historical and important for those reasons. Mulan brings honor to her family in very nontraditional ways. Her sister brings honor to the family in very traditional ways. So that’s the way we kept both in balance. Because I didn’t want to not honor Mulan’s sister’s journey either to be a traditional daughter in that time that is equally important.

    Who inspired you in your career?

    When I was a teenager, when I first wanted to make films, I couldn’t see anybody who looked like me that directed movies until Jane Campion. And I remain Jane Campion’s most loyal and devoted fan to this day because she not only looked like me, from the same part of the world, she saw like me.

    And yesterday was so moving because we did a lot of TV interviews and we were interviewed many, many times by women and many times by Asian women. And it was so touching that they could see themselves in Mulan and “Mulan” was very meaningful to them. Now I think there’s a reason for that, of course “Mulan’s” always been there for all time but I think telling the story through a female lens, the story being told by somebody who looks like you, sees like you, feels like you, might be the difference here. And I’m very honored to have been allowed to tell it on this scale in this time.

    Can you tell us about the audition process you had for finding your Mulan?

    We searched the world for a year and we couldn’t find her. We searched all through China, couldn’t find her. So we started again. And Yifei was available and so we brought her to Los Angeles, she took a 14-hour flight from Beijing — worst jetlag in the world, FYI. She arrived in the evening and didn’t sleep that night. Thought she could sleep the next day because the audition wasn’t till 2, but the head of the studio asked her to come in and have a meeting so the poor thing, no sleep, had to wait around for me.

    She did a two-hour audition in English; even though she speaks beautiful English it’s not her first language. Five scenes, one of those scenes five pages of dialogue and I was so impressed by her and I was so interested in how much she had to give so I kept exploring and pushing and pushing. And she was so fierce, so impressive as a dramatic actress and I was so indulgent because I was enjoying myself so much. So that took two hours.

    And then we sent her to the other really critical part of the process, which was to send her into the gym with a personal trainer to do a punishing 90-minute workout that was designed to test her physical limits and to see whether she was the warrior that I needed. And she went through this whole process with jetlag, no sleep, Beijing, L.A., and never ever once asked to stop, never asked to take a break, never said I can’t do it, always did exactly what was asked of her and more.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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  10. #85
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    Continued from previous post

    Jet Li


    Courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

    You've been in retirement for a long time. Why were you interested in doing this movie?

    I didn’t want to take it, I turned it down. I said “Mulan” everybody knows, why make another one? In the beginning I heard of “Mulan,” then I know the end. I watched it a lot of times “Mulan,” everybody knows it, so how do you make everybody happy with a new “Mulan?” Then my daughter, 15 years old, she says, can you make the movie for me?

    Then I called Donnie, did you take the job? He said I am still thinking about it. I don’t want to do it, but my daughter got me to do it, please think about it, when you decide, tell me. A few days later he called me and said oh, my daughter wants me to do it too, so we can just do it together for the daughters, for the next generation. That’s why I took the job, I’m so glad.

    What is your reaction to the fact that Disney is not opening the movie in China because of the corona virus?

    I always think, I am a little bit crazy, I always think about a big time, universe, humans, total family, living on the earth, I think it’s normal. Everything for me is normal, because we will have in our life a beautiful time, good time, for sure we will have a normal time and sometimes we have a difficult time. Right now is a difficult time for everybody and start there. We always need to help each other. We always need to work together. So this is not the only movie that is delayed, all the movies are delayed in Asia, not only China.

    Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh are all into martial arts. Is it important for an actor to know that in order to be successful in China?

    The first offer I got was when I was 11. They said come to the States, for a Kung-Fu demonstration and then go back, in 1974. In Hong Kong, they had said, Bruce Lee had just died the previous year, do you want to grow up and become him, become an action hero? I was 11, I said okay.

    So then the movie company was waiting for me for five years, so when I was 16, they said do not wait any longer. We are giving you your first movie, “Shaolin Temple.” I think because I learned martial arts I also share a culture, a language. There are no borders. Today, not only Chinese people do martial arts. Using your body to tell a story is good.

    Donnie Yen


    Courtesy of Janet Susan R. Nepales/HFPA

    Why were you interested in doing this movie?

    One of the main reasons is my daughter. I have a special attachment to this particular subject, a female hero. My first martial arts teacher was my mother, We used to have a school. I used to live in Boston when I was a child and she used to have a martial arts school in Boston and she taught all sorts of students, from MIT professors to Harvard students. So she was my mentor. She used to get me up in the morning and use a wooden sword and whip me if I didn’t work out, I had to train before I went to school.

    Secondly of course it’s my daughter, she’s 16 now, but she grew up watching the original “Mulan,” the cartoon one, probably over 100 times. I watched it with her, we sang the classic songs probably another hundred times.

    Third reason was my wife, my partner, we run a production company in Hong Kong and she’s always been my friend, my soul mate and my boss. So I know firsthand what it’s like to, I think it’s important for a movie like “Mulan” because unfortunately there are still many places in the world where females do not have the same equal opportunities as the opposite gender unfortunately.

    And I think a film like “Mulan,” produced by Disney in this grand scale that everyone can see, this is something that, it gives them hope and support and it inspires them to be anybody who they want to be and just as well as anyone. It doesn’t matter what gender you are. In the beginning I did turn it down. I didn’t really want to do “Mulan” because I found out there’s no singing. But my daughter said you have got to be in “Mulan” Papa.

    What is your reaction to the fact that Disney is not opening the movie in China because of the corona virus?

    It’s out of our control, we are professional actors, we came in as actors and we did the best we could.

    There are more important things than making a movie, you are dealing with people’s lives here.

    I have to use this opportunity to express my prayers to those who have been affected and hurt. A lot of people in China have suffered because of this virus, and we really have to support those, especially the medical staff and the doctors, who sacrifice themselves to save others. I think that is the big moral.

    And not only is it affecting Chinese people, this virus is also affecting many places in the world, globally. I think that we should not let people use this as an excuse to point fingers and to discriminate. We should have more of a unity and fight this together as a global citizen.

    Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh are all into martial arts. Is it important for an actor to know that in order to be successful in China?

    Pretty much. I think it is easier to communicate with people through action movies. That’s why action movies usually sells tickets the most. I mean if you look at all the blockbusters, the Marvel movies are action heroes. For decades, Chinese actors are known for doing martial arts. But we are also professional actors. The market now has changed so much. — LA, GMA News
    Not copying this to the Covid-19 thread. There's enough about Mulan and this there already.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  11. #86
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    Disney+ date October 27th?

    Looks Like We May Know When Mulan Will Arrive On Disney+
    COREY CHICHIZOLA
    MAY. 22. 2020 9:37 AM



    CinemaBlend participates in affiliate programs with various companies. We may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via links.

    The entertainment industry has come to a halt due to global health concerns, resulting in a ton of changes that should be felt over the next few years. After theaters closed, a number of highly anticipated blockbuster were delayed, including Disney's live-action Mulan movie. Niki Caro's blockbuster was pushed back a number of months, with an intended theatrical release of July 24th. But now it looks like we may also know when Mulan will eventually be available to stream on Disney+.

    The House of Mouse has been making moves over on Disney+, producing original content and also being a home for all things Disney. Obviously Mulan was expected to eventually arrive on the streaming service sometime after its run in theaters, although now we may have an idea as to when that might happen-- and its all thanks to social media. One Twitter user recently asked when Mulan was heading to Disney+, to which the verified help account responded:



    Well, that seems pretty cut and dry. At least it did, because the tweet revealing Mulan's possible Disney+ date as October 27th has since been deleted. So should we expect this live-action remake to be available to stream just a few months after its new release date?

    The tweet in question came from the official Twitter of Disney+ help, before it was promptly deleted from the account. The streaming service just announced a ton of original content that'll be available for subscribers, leading for some fans to ask for specific projects on social media. That's exactly what happened in this case, with someone who was controlling the Disney+ help account revealing the possible Mulan Disney+ release date. But since the tweet has also been deleted, the House of Mouse may have other plans.

    Disney fans can watch the original Mulan on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
    What a tease. I came really close to putting Mulan on the cover of our Spring 2020.
    Gene Ching
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  12. #87
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    Aug 21 2020

    It seems like an eternity ago when I was eagerly anticipating attending the screener for this. How the world has changed since then.

    Disney shifts ‘Mulan’ as Hollywood throws in the towel on July


    US-Chinese actress Yifei Liu at the world premiere of Disney's "Mulan" March 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The movie is the latest pandemic casualty and its release has been rescheduled again. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
    By Steven Zeitchik
    June 26, 2020 at 4:14 p.m. PDT

    And then there were none.
    “Mulan,” the last major Hollywood movie set to come out in July, has been postponed by Disney. It will now come out on Aug. 21, at the tail end of summer, with the hope of catching fire and playing through September.

    “While the pandemic has changed our release plans for ‘Mulan’ and we will continue to be flexible as conditions require, it has not changed our belief in the power of this film and its message of hope and perseverance," the studio’s two chairmen, Alan Horn and Alan Bergman, said in a statement. They called the movie a “beautiful, epic, and moving film that is everything the cinematic experience should be, and that’s where we believe it belongs — on the world stage and the big screen for audiences around the globe to enjoy together.”

    The move means that the month of July, which in recent years has seen mega-blockbusters from “The Lion King” to “The Dark Knight,” “Transformers” to many “Harry Potter” films, will not have a major new movie for the first time in the modern era. On Thursday, Warner Bros. moved “Tenet,” its Christopher Nolan film with high commercial hopes, from July to Aug. 12.

    The postponement dashes the hopes of theater-owners, studios and many consumers of a cinematic revival this summer after a nearly four-month shutdown due to the covid-19 pandemic.
    The release of a major family film at a time when many children are about to go back to school — or have just done so — is an extreme rarity in modern Hollywood. But Disney is gambling that the movie could play well to parents and children looking for something to do after a strange, pandemic-infused summer, and that the movie can dominate a Labor Day weekend two weeks later when many normal recreational options could be limited.

    The “Mulan” move offers resolution — or an attempt at one — at a problem that began when one of Disney’s great cinematic hopes for 2020 was caught by the first wave of the novel coronavirus across the globe.

    Originally scheduled for release March 27, Niki Caro’s live-action update on the 1998 Disney animated smash about a young woman on a hero’s journey featuring Chinese-American star Liu Yifei was rescheduled to July 24 when the virus began spreading. Though an 11th-hour postponement — the film had already held its premiere in Hollywood — the move was a no-brainer given the hundreds of millions of dollars it’s expected to take in not only in the U.S. but in China, where the film is set and from where much of its cast comes.

    But where to put it has proved challenging. While late August is hardly a common time for a Hollywood release, a push to the fall or early 2021 would have been difficult given Disney’s other movies, which have also been rescheduled due to the pandemic. “Black Widow,” scheduled for May, is now in November,” “The Eternals” went from November to February 2021 and “Jungle Cruise,” set for this July, will now come out next July, leaving little room on the calendar.

    Disney also has “Soul,” the new animated movie from Pixar chief creative officer and “Up” director Pete Doctor set for November, and it’s unlikely to want to crowd that date with another family-friendly title.

    “Mulan” carries many hopes for a Disney that has been starved for revenue with theme parks closed and ESPN unable to show live sports. The studio has enjoyed massive success with its live-action remakes of 1990’s animated films; “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin” each grossed more than $1 billion globally upon their release in the past few years.

    But the multiple schedule shifts, and the fact that many consumers remain reluctant to attend theaters, will pose a challenge even if the film can stay on track for August.

    Whether theaters will even be open across the country also remains a question. As of Friday several states that had lifted restrictions on indoor recreation venues were scrambling to reinstate them as cases continued to rise in many parts of the country.

    Florida and Texas were among those announcing record numbers of new cases at the end of the week. Florida reached 8,942 new infections Friday, close to double the previous record set just two days earlier. The governors of both states closed bars as a result and Texas reduced capacity limits on restaurants.

    Disney must also contend with restrictions in China, where movie theaters remain closed.

    “Mulan” could also face a publicity challenge in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. In 2019, Liu posted support for police on a Chinese social-media site during the Hong Kong protests, saying she supports law-enforcement and that what the protesters were doing was a “shame.” The statement caused many to accuse her of supporting police brutality and prompted calls to boycott the film.
    If the pandemic forces Disney to move the film’s release date again, it would be hard pressed to find another place on the calendar without bumping other films in the process. A move to video on-demand, as some fans have called for, is unlikely. Disney pushed “Artemis Fowl,” its adaptation of the action-fantasy literary hit from a scheduled May theatrical release to video on-demand. But such a move is unlikely for “Mulan,” which cost an estimated $200 million to make, while the revenue model for digital rentals of big-budget films remains uncertain.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
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  13. #88
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    Mandy Walker


    POSTED ON JUNE 1, 2020 BY ACMAG
    THE AUSTRALIAN CINEMATOGRAPHER BEHIND DISNEY’S EPIC LIVE-ACTION ‘MULAN’


    From New Zealand director Niki Caro MNZM (Whale Rider), and Australian cinematographer Mandy Walker ACS ASC (Hidden Figures), a young Chinese maiden (Liu Yifei) disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father and fight for her country in Disney’s live-action epic Mulan.

    Interview by Claire Marsh.


    Liu Yifei is Hua Mulan in Mulan – DOP Mandy Walker ACS ASC

    AC – Firstly, thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me. Can you tell me a little about the story of Mulan?

    MW – Well, basically, the Emperor of China (Jet Li) declares war and every family has to send one man or boy to fight. Mulan’s (Liu Yifei) father volunteers to go but his legs were injured in the last war and the family knows that he’s not going to fair too well going into battle like that. Mulan dresses up in his armour and joins the army as a male. It’s through Mulan’s training that she realises she’s an elite warrior. Mulan is enlisted as part of a group of highly-trained forces and is sent off to fight.

    AC – What attracted you to this project?

    MW – My daughter loved the original Disney film when she was growing up. I’d seen the animation a number of times. I’d always wanted to work with director Niki Caro because I love her films. I always thought she was a very interesting filmmaker and loved that she has strong female characters in her films. When I found out that I had an interview with her I was so excited. Then I loved the script; so it was sort of a win-win for me when I got the job. It was great.

    AC – How did that relationship go, with director Niki Caro?

    MW – It was fantastic. During pre-production we took a few trips to China together. We also looked at reference films and studied Chinese art and photography as we were working out the visual language of the film. It was very collaborative. We realised pretty quickly that we were on the same page, which was fantastic. Our director was very organised and a very quick thinker. I think I’m the same, so when we were on set together, I felt there was a real synchronicity with our decision-making.

    I think one of the most important things that the director said to me at the beginning of filming was that Mulan is the centre of the film. I always had that in the back of my mind. Whenever we talked about coverage or the choreography of the fight scenes I was always thinking that the camera had to be with her. We were lucky that Liu Yifei did many of her own stunt sequences, which meant that we could concentrate on her face. It’s not like when there’s a stunt person doing it. We could have really long lenses and focus on her face. Niki Caro is a great collaborator, so with every department the visual language was consistent and we were all very organised as a team.


    Filming ‘Mulan’ on location, director Niki Caro at centre – PHOTO Walt Disney Pictures

    AC – I’m interested by the fact that you were drawing from Chinese art and design. Can you tell me how much that influenced the look of the film?

    MW – I think a lot because even though we went for an original visual language, you can kind of glean the essence of things that we had in our references. Like when we went into the Imperial City, the real Imperial City in China, we found the architecture to be very symmetrical. So it lends itself to having somebody in the centre of the frame. The composition of a lot of Chinese art follows that same style. We had it in the back of our minds, but we also wanted to find something new.

    During pre-production we also looked at films like Lawrence of Arabia (1962, cinematography by Freddie Young OBE BSC), and we watched a lot of Chinese martial art films because Mulan is an epic battle film.

    I chose to shoot on a 65mm ARRI Alexa Digital because it’s the perfect tool for seeing big, epic landscape shots. It’s also a very intimate camera because it has a lower depth-of-field than shooting 35mm. When you’re on a close up you can drop the focus right off and be very intimate with the character. It’s pretty amazing that camera. I know that when they first developed it, the camera was thought to be mainly used for visual effects, or to do big exteriors. What you realise while working with it is that it beautifully photographs peoples faces.

    I also had lenses custom made by Dan Sasaki at Panavision Woodland Hills. We had a portrait lens using glass based on a Petzval lens made in the United Kingdom that was from the 1800s which focuses on the centre of the lens, but then it drops off quite dramatically to the edges. When we wanted the audience to concentrate very much on her face we would use that lens, and then other people behind her would drop off and it really focused on her.

    AC – Having only seen the trailer, one of the first things that struck me was the vibrancy of the colour pallet. Can you tell me a little about working with Grant Major (the Lord of the Rings trilogy) and the production design team?

    MW – As well as being a version of the Chinese fable that is set in ancient times it also is a Disney movie and has an aesthetic that we decided was beautiful as well as historical.

    We all worked really closely together to create the visual language; all the elements of what’s in the frame and how we see the characters. For instance, Mulan lives in a Fujian Tulou, which are ancient rural villages, built in the round. One important thing, which the director said right at the beginning, was that these Tulous shouldn’t feel old or antique; that their tools and clothes should reflect their present time. It shouldn’t be brown and grey and old looking. Also, the colour red was chosen for Mulan as her signature colour. That’s a very important part of the colour palette of the film.


    A scene from ‘Mulan’ – DOP Mandy Walker ACS ASC

    AC – It’s a very important colour in Chinese culture too, isn’t it?

    MW – It is, yes. It’s a very important colour. The way we approached colour represented that. In Mulan’s village, for example, there was much more colour and I went that way with the lighting as well. It’s very warm and inviting. Then obviously we’d get to a battle sequence and what we did was use hardly any colour. We dressed the opposing army in grey and brown so that Mulan would pop out in her red outfit. We chose a location that was very bland in colour as well, so that the audience would really be concentrating on her.

    We also spent a lot of time working with stunt people and the choreographers because the director had said she didn’t want it to be a ‘generic fighting sequence’. She wanted it to be elegant and controlled, especially Mulan’s fight sequence. When we would watch the stunts, we would think of camera moves and think of ways to capture how she moves through the air. She’s not a superhero, she doesn’t do anything supernatural, but she has abilities that most people don’t have. She has what’s called ‘Qi’, which is like an inner force.

    I haven’t done a battle movie before, so we looked at lots of battle scenes and I really looked at the cinematography. I thought it shouldn’t look like a boring mishmash, it should be something that feels like she has elegant control. I did that with the cameras as well, so that the movement of the camera and the framing is very specific to the action.

    AC – The way you’re describing it makes me envision a dance between yourself and the action.

    MW – That’s exactly right. It’s very interesting that you picked that up, because that’s exactly what we did. A lot of the time the camera was on a Scorpio Telescopic Crane with an Oculus head, which has multiple axis. We were able to spin around Mulan and dance with her exactly like that. A lot of her shots are filmed from the crane, and there was some Steadicam, cable-cam and Russian arm tracking vehicle. We were hardly ever hand-held. Generally we were on rigs that followed the action because it allowed us greater control over movement.

    Actually, a lot of shots were designed in pre-visualisation. There were so many stunts involved, and the horse sequences were so complicated, that we had to plan it out in advance because we needed specific equipment in order to get those shots with seperate elements. Then a lot of our photography we tried to be ‘in camera’, so it wasn’t about having just green screen everywhere.

    We would have as much set as we possibly could. It would be green screen extensions or skies but we limited it so that the actors felt like they were part of the environment. They weren’t acting just on green. And because we didn’t shoot in China; we only really shot scenic there; we shot the rest of it in New Zealand.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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    continued from previous post


    Jason Scott Lee as Bori Khan in a scene from ‘Mulan’ – DOP Mandy Walker ACS ASC

    AC – Oh wow, really?

    MW – Yes, so everything with actors we did in New Zealand. We captured the desert and the landscapes in China with a few helicopter shots, then we built the Imperial Palace including all the rooms and the courtyard on a backlot. They were outside and they were real.

    AC – It sounds like an epic feat. How long were you shooting for? What did your shooting schedule look like?

    MW – It was actually pretty quick for a big action film. We had seventy-four days scheduled and we came in on time. We were so organised. And we had to be. The director and I were very aware that this was the first time a film set this big had been run by women; female director, female cinematographer, female first assistant director and a female lead. We were very cognisant of everybody watching us for that reason. We were very determined to make it work and we did.

    From the very beginning I wanted the director to feel like she had the set. Most of the lighting is outside the set and that’s also how I would light locations. We had a huge throne room set and I would pre-rig the lighting from 360-degrees. Everything’s on a dimmer board. We would look one way and shoot, then by the time we turned the camera around I would already have turned the light around. It was very quick and efficient.

    When we were in the Fujian Tulou, the exterior set for Mulan’s village, I had three very big 60ft x 40ft charcoal diffusion frames and we could shoot in any weather, at any time of day. I kept it pretty much in the shade, so that we would never be waiting for light and we never had to suddenly bring out lamps to match to sun when we lost it.

    I had a great crew. I was working with Shaun Conway, who’s my gaffer, and has been my gaffer on many films. I think we started working together twenty-five years ago. We have a very close relationship and have developed our own shorthand. Once I explained to Conway the visual language and style he could really get in there and make it happen. He has a really good eye and is clever making his own lights and planning for quick turn arounds.

    AC – It’s invaluable to have a gaffer who knows what you need, and can do it.

    MW – Yes, exactly, so you’re not having to micromanage. We also had at least two cameras on everything, and for some of the battle sequences we had five cameras. For the big scenes, the battle scenes, where we had sixty horses and a hundred soldiers, we had a military battle AD unit that worked with all the extras and actors in military manoeuvres and martial arts so that when it came time to rehearse they were ready to go. They knew, before they arrived on set, how to move together, walk together. They knew all the action. During their rehearsals the director and I would walk around and find angles because, again, you can only do so much in pre-visualisation.

    I had really good people on my crew. I tried to involve people collaboratively so they would never feel like they were just being bossed around or didn’t have a creative input. I include them in pre-production so they’re aware of the visual language of the movie. The director and I would talk to them everyday about what she wanted the scene to be saying story wise and the approach we should take. We were so happy and our crew were so enthusiastic.


    Filming ‘Mulan’ on location, Jason Scott Lee at centre – PHOTO Walt Disney Pictures

    AC – What do you think was the most challenging aspect of shooting Mulan?

    MW – The most important aspect of my job is helping the director tell the story to an audience. If I understand the story, and understand the images I have to tell that particular story, that’s the challenge I enjoy most.

    I think for me the most time consuming and logistical part of this film was the battle sequences. I mean every time I do a movie I choose a film that interests me story wise. And the fight sequences were one of the aspects of this particular project that were exciting because I’d never done anything like it before, so I found that a great challenge.

    It was also about working out how to do things that serviced the director’s vision. I always kept that in the back of my mind. Being efficient, not going over budget, and getting the right people for the job. It’s the juggling of all the parts of my job that I actually love.

    AC – How involved were you with the edit, and the grade?

    MW – One of the most important aspects of cinematography, now more than ever, is working with visual effects. I always try to set up a relationship with that department very early on in pre-production. They have to understand what I’m trying to achieve and what the director wants in every scene so that people don’t go off on their own tangent. Because that can happen with visual effects. I kept that relationship going throughout post-production, even while I’m working on other things.

    What I would do afterwards is pop in and see what they’re doing, or they would do things like send me examples that they wanted to put behind a certain scene that was shot to be at dusk and I would say, well that one suits the lighting more than anything, that was more of a reference that I showed everyone when I went to light it. That type of thing.

    We did a final grade pass for the director’s cut of Mulan. I went in and balanced things, and the director did ask to change the look of certain scenes after editing as it sometimes changes the timeline, or sometimes a director wants a slightly different feel after seeing how things sit together. A cinematographer has to keep the production flowing. We came back and did some additional photography, but not a lot. We added a couple of little scenes with a couple of changes of dialogue.

    I worked with Natasha Leonnet, who is a colourist at Efilm, who I’ve worked with on quite a few films like Hidden Figures (2016) and The Mountain Between Us (2017). We did what’s called a ‘look bible’ where we go through the movie and pick a couple of shots from each scene and do a grade on them, and then the director would come in to have a look and give us feedback.

    Then I went to start work on Baz Luhrmann’s ‘The Untitled Elvis’ project, at that time in early pre-production. As I am based up in Queensland, what we did was each weekend for four weeks was to stream the digital intermediate (DI) image and sound from Efilm Hollywood through TVips to me in a DI suite at Cutting Edge on the Gold Coast. It’s a secure internet connection that is full-resolution and in real-time. I could watch what they were doing in the edit suite while we’re talking on Skype.

    Throughout each week the colourist would have gone through some scenes and I would go in on the weekends and spend a day making adjustments. Then the director would be watching on the same system at Disney, in between when she was sound mixing, and we got to grade the film like that. I actually still got to be very involved even though I was on the other side of the world, which is amazing. The technology we have now is absolutely incredible; you would not have been able to do this ten years ago. It’s not like I’m looking at some bad internet version on my computer, or a DVD or something, I’m actually watching, in real time, pretty close to full-resolution, what they are doing in the DI suite in Los Angeles.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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    continued from previous post


    Liu Yifei plays Hua Mulan in ‘Mulan’ – DOP Mandy Walker ACS ASC

    AC – Do you have a favourite scene or sequence? Or has something from the film stayed with you?

    MW – Yes, I do. The fight sequences with Mulan are some of my favourites from any movie I’ve ever done. The film is also very emotional and I get emotional when I watch it.

    For example, the final twenty minutes of the movie, even though there was no spectacular visual fighting or exciting camera moves or anything going on, it’s still a very dramatic part of the movie. That sequence really resonates with me. To me, it means that we did shoot Mulan the right way. Storytelling is important. My job is not just about moving the camera for the sake of moving the camera or lighting something in a way that is visually showing off. Sometimes it’s not moving the camera, or it’s about picking the right lens for the right moment, or picking the right depth-of-field, or picking the right lighting situation so as not to take the audience out of the scene but enhance the right emotion. It may be a simple scene, photographically, but it’s one of the most emotional in the movie. I’m proud that we shot Mulan to express the journey of the main character.

    AC – Looking back on those initial conversations with Niki Caro, do you think you succeeded with what you were hoping to achieve?

    MW – Yes. And more.

    I always feel like the process of pre-production is exciting, working out how you’re going to shoot a particular film. It’s a development. First, I sit down with the director and go through the script and just talk about the story. I really want to understand the story they want to tell and learn the way they want to tell it, and how best to support them in that. While my job is very technical, we don’t talk technicalities at that stage. First and foremost I’m an artist and that’s a very important part of my job. I have to work with interpreting and expressing through visual language, the director’s vision. I have to understand the emotion in a scene and what’s going on with the character to be able to translate that to an audience. Once I understand the emotional message and the artistic images we are going for, then I can work out the technical way of achieving this.

    I always go to Panavision and talk to the amazing Dan Sasaki, who is the lens guru at Woodland Hills who develops the lenses for me for each project. I could say to him, for instance, that I want this landscape to look like a particular painting and he interprets that in his ideas for lens building. Some of the lenses he developed for Mulan are painterly, epic landscape lenses. I don’t know how he does his magic; but he can do things with glass and coatings and moving the elements to create a look. Sasaki, for instance, mentioned to me that there was glass used in the 1800s that was designed for stills portraiture . And then he’d develop our lenses from scratch. It’s a combination of the artistic elements, the technical elements and the organisation.

    AC – It’s alchemy.

    MW – That’s right, exactly. A very important part of my job is to be a General who is in charge of my crew and many units. Sometimes its up to two-hundred people working in my department. I have to organise, communicate and collaborate with them. There are all these elements that you’re juggling together to get what the director wants. It’s not just making pretty pictures, which is something I tell my students. I tell them, a cinematographer’s job is not just making a cool camera move or simply thinking about interesting lighting. It’s storytelling and how to get there. It’s having people come with you, who want to be with you, and who want to go on a journey with you.


    Liu Yifei is Mulan, in ‘Mulan’ – DOP Mandy Walker ACS ASC

    AC – I’m wondering if the ending of Mulan changed much from the original, given the shifts we’ve seen in contemporary society as a result of things like the #metoo movement?

    MW – I think Mulan is a feminist story because it’s about a woman finding out that she has special powers, and that she has an inner strength. I think the lesson of this film is that all women have this potential. That it’s something inside you that you have to discover for yourself. To discover your confidence and passion, and be brave, loyal and true.

    AC – You don’t have to give the game away.

    MW – I can’t [laughs]. But let me just say, from the outset the director had said, I want to make a film about a female warrior, and that’s what she did. We used to talk about ourselves on set and say, that in making this film we’re warriors (laughs). All women should be able to know they have that potential power.

    AC – It’s a fantastic message, and not just within the story of Mulan, but in the story of making of the film. It’s incredibly impressive and really inspiring.

    MW – Thank you. That’s what I hope. It’s why I want people to know that this is the first time a film of this caliber was made with all women at the top. Women who are running the set and running it well. We were really organised because we knew what we wanted and we were confidant. We were warriors.

    AC – Absolutely. All credit to you. I can’t wait to see the film.

    MW – I’m very very proud of it.

    AC – You’re currently working on Elvis?

    MW – We were pre-production but are now in hiatus like many projects

    AC – Can you tell me a little about what drew you to that story?

    MW – Well, again I loved the script and story and what’s important to me is collaborating with a director that I respect and who is a visionary, like Baz Luhrmann. I worked with him on Australia (2008) and also a couple of small films for luxury brand Chanel. When I met with him about Elvis he told me he’s been working on this for ten years or more. I got to read the script and I jumped at the chance because I love working with him. He’s a great collaborator. It’s another exciting but different project. I like to do different things and l like challenges. And I haven’t done a musical before.

    It’s also a film about an iconic person and to me that’s really interesting. I suppose when I did Hidden Figures, digging in to the real life stories of those women was a big part of my job and I’ve started doing that now with Elvis Presley. Because the director and Catherine Martin, his wife and collaborator, have done so much initial research, right now I’m working out how we are going to approach actually putting that vision cinematographically onto the screen.

    It’s been a very busy, exciting few months. It’s going to be really great once we are back up and running. There are really good people working on Elvis so I’m having a ball. To go from one great project to another, I’m really lucky. Working on Mulan was a really amazing experience and I’m very proud of what we did.

    AC – You can’t ask for more than that, can you?

    MW – No, you really can’t.

    Mandy Walker ACS ASC is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and in-demand cinematographers having worked on a number of feature films including Love Serenade (1996), winner of the Cannes Camera d’Or.

    Claire Marsh is a director and script developer based in Melbourne.
    "The fight sequences with Mulan are some of my favourites from any movie I’ve ever done. "
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
    Support our forum by getting your gear at MartialArtSmart

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