I saw a p0rn version of Mulan not too long ago.
Mulan - Live-Action Disney project
Disneyâs 1998 film âMulanâ
Photofest
by Rebecca Ford 3/30/2015 12:46pm PDT
On the heels of the magical success of Disneyâs live-action Cinderella, the studio is eyeing another live-action retelling: Mulan.
Disney bought a script by writing team Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek that centers on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, the female warrior who was the main character in Disneyâs 1998 animated film.
Chris Bender and J.C. Spink (Weâre the Millers) are producing the new project vie their banner Benderspink with Jake Weiner.
The 1998 film, directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, followed a young woman who disguises herself as a man so she can take her fatherâs place in the army and go to war. With the help of her trusty dragon sidekick Mushu, she becomes a skilled warrior and, eventually, one of the countryâs greatest heroines. It earned $304.3 million worldwide, earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations and resulted in a 2005 direct-to-DVD sequel, Mulan II.
Disney has been on a roll with its live-action versions of its classic animated films. Cinderella, starring Lily James, has earned $336.2 million worldwide to date since hitting theaters three weeks ago. In 2010, the reimagined Alice in Wonderland grossed a staggering $1.02 billion and when Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie as the iconic villainess, opened in May 2014, it went on to earn a stunning $758.4 million worldwide.
Disney is also making a live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. Audra McDonald just joined the cast of the project, which will be directed by Bill Condon. It hits theaters on March 17, 2017. And in 2016 Disney will release a new version of The Jungle Book and the sequel to Alice in Wonderland. Finally, a live-action version of Dumbo, which will be helmed by Tim Burton, is also in the works.
Writing team Martin and Hynek met in high school and, among other projects, have written for the Know Theatre of Cincinnati and rewrote a script for Amazon Studios. Theyâre repped by Amy Wagner at the Abrams Artists and Mike De Trana at Anvil Entertainment.
For the record, hereâs our past Mulan coverage:
I couldnât find a thread on the original Disney animated version but that was 1998. We did run a cover story on Mimi Chan, who was mo-capped for that film, in our June 2000 issue.
Mulan
Legend-of-Mulan
oh. Then thereâs thisâŚ
It would be a major gaff for Disney to whitewash this one. I suspect that they wonât. Which begs the question - who could play Mulan? Would they go for Brenda Song?
Petition grows over Mulan cast
Updated: 2015-04-15 11:04
By LIA ZHU in San Francisco(China Daily USA)
Mulan, a 1998 Disney animated film that will be made into a live-action movie, is the subject of a petition. Provided to China Daily.
An online petition calling on The Walt Disney Co not to have a white actress play the role of Mulan in a live-action remake of the 1998 animated film Mulan had gathered more than 42,000 signatures by Tuesday afternoon.
After Disney announced it was developing a live-action version of Mulan two weeks ago, Natalie Molnar, an activist in Michigan, launched a petition at Care2.com, a social networking website, demanding the filmmaker cast an Asian actress to play the title character.
Hua Mulan, a legendary female warrior from ancient China, was originally portrayed in a poem, Ballad of Mulan, in which she takes her aged fatherâs place in the army by disguising herself as a man and fights for 12 years before she retires and return home.
In the petition titled âTell Disney You Donât Want a Whitewashed Mulanâ, Molnar, a librarian at the Rochester Hills Public Library in Michigan, said, âWhitewashing, the practice of casting white Caucasian actors and actresses in roles originally meant to be characters of color, is all too common in Hollywood.â
She used the examples of The Last Airbender, Pan and the upcoming Ghost in the Shell adaptation, which is based on a Japanese cartoon but stars American actress Scarlett Johansson.
âMulan was based on a Chinese legend. ⌠The character, story, and fans deserve the best retelling of the story Disney can produce,â said Molnar. âThis disturbing trend of whitewashing in big-budget movies canât get a chance to take root in Mulan as well.
âEven if the story is set in a time or place in which whites should be overwhelmingly in the minority, even if the characters are based on historical characters who we know for a fact werenât white, chances are theyâll be played by someone who is - effectively implying to POC audiences that they canât be the heroes even in their own stories,â Molnar told China Daily by e-mail.
âIn childrenâs entertainment in particular, whitewashing has lasting negative effects. Take it from a childrenâs librarian, kids are much more perceptive than many people give them credit for. Every experience is a learning experience for a child, and every day the way they see the world changes just a little bit. But if they rarely see themselves represented in the stories they love, what kind of a world is that?â
A request for comment made to Disney was not answered by press time.
Michelle Cen, a mother of a 3-year-old in the San Francisco Bay Area, opposed Mulan being played a Caucasian, saying it would disrespect Chinese history.
âThe story originates from an ancient Chinese legend,â Cen said. Mulan is a Chinese heroine. She cannot be a white girl,â she said, adding that she would not take her child to watch the film if it ended up with a white Mulan.
Another mother, Zhang Miao, said she was happy to learn that so many people have given support to the petition. However, she was not optimistic that the petition would have any influence on Disney.
âAfter all, itâs the profit that the filmmaker is concerned about,â she said.
A Mulan fan from Ohio, Megan Brandewie, baked the petition and said in her comment, "Mulan was one of my favorite Disney movies growing up, and I want her story recreated in its truest form. There is not enough representation in media for non-whites, and to tell this story with anyone but a Chinese woman cast as the lead is not only a disservice to Disney but a disservice to young Asian girls everywhere.
âThe movie is based on a Chinese story and takes place in China,â said another fan, Matthew Gnepper from Wisconsin. âPlease donât cast it with white actors.â
âCasting a white Mulan is no different than casting a white Tiana for the Frog Princess. It takes away more than adds,â he said.
liazhu@chinadailyusa.com
WaitâŚwhat!!!
I luv ScarJo but this just does NOT work for me. Ghost in the Shell isnât enough for her? This has got to be some weird fallout from Lost in Translation, right?
Live Action Mulan Movie Starring Scarlett Johansson Confirmed For 2016
POSTED BY: LEWAGASTIR AUGUST 30, 2015
Chinas saviour is back and this time, shes a little more real
Disneys animated blockbuster Mulan took theatre goers by storm in 1998 with its bold depiction of bravery, strong female characters anddragons (who could forget that dragon?) Now, almost 18 years later, Disney is announcing a remake of the movie in the live action format. It was at a press conference at Disneys Studios this morning that the company announced the production of a live action Mulan movie slated for a summer 2016 release. This is what Disney officials had to say:
We are excited to announce a new Mulan movie for a new generation that will premier in theatres in June 2016. This movie has been in the works for almost 10 years but were finally at the point where we feel we can really release our work to the public without feeling like were snubbing them of the ultimate experience. The cast and crew are very excited for the new Mulan and hope that it will be well received by the audiences who loved the original film. See you in June!
Scarlett Johansson will play Mulan in the upcoming movie, a casting choice that may raise some eyebrows as Mulan is supposed to be an ethnically Chinese woman. Disney explained the casting choice:
We are aware that casting Scarlett may not agree with everyones opinion on what Mulan should be, but we find that were going to appeal to a much wider audience with Scarlett and create a much more financially viable production than in a scenario where we had hired some Chinese actress.
Scarlett Johansson herself has commented on the upcoming role:
I am extremely happy to be a part of such a monumental and historically rich production. In playing Mulan, Ive really felt like I was there in the China, fighting the huns, I really felt at home and Im looking forward to sharing the experience on the screen.
The movie is slated for a release on the 4th of June 2016, but if you cant wait to buzz about it until then, tweet under #ScarlettAsMulan
Note that this could be a hoax. I have yet to find this official announcement from Disney, just a lot of articles quoting this one from the www.theportlygazelle.com
I think ScarJo was just a rumor/hoaxâŚ
âŚbut that was an amusing one for sure.
For the record, ScarJo would be awesome in Charlieâs Angels.
Doug Belgrad Launches 2.0, Will Co-Fi âBad Boysâ & âZombielandâ Sequels, âCharlieâs Angelsâ
by Mike Fleming Jr
September 8, 2016 1:47pm
EXCLUSIVE: Three months after ending a 25-year run as a Sony Pictures film exec â the last three as Motion Picture Group president after 10 as Columbia Pictures president â Doug Belgrad has christened his new production shingle 2.0 Entertainment. He has hired Open Road exec Sophie Cassidy to be SVP Production, joining at the end of September. It will take until yearâs end for him to tie down his outside financing and a while longer to assert himself as a buyer. But Belgrad will get his venture going by becoming a minority co-financier on Sony projects Peter Rabbit, Bad Boys 3, Zombieland 2, Mulan, Charlies Angels, and Mallory. The latter is a Doug Liman-directed drama about British mountaineer George Mallory and his attempts to summit Mount Everest. He has also gotten started in television with four active projects including a sitcom with Jake Kasdan.
2.0 Entertainment
Belgradâs shingle will generate films and TV projects as producer and co-financier, and it will be headquartered on the Sony lot with a first-look feature deal there. Heâll co-finance between 10%-33% of the pre-existing Sony films, but will go 50/50 on packages he brings to the studio. If Sony doesnât bite, Belgrad can partner with other studios or finance independently and distribute through Sony. The goal is to leverage Belgradâs skills and relationships to entice talent to play in the mid-size-budget sandbox. Belgrad was certainly part of his share of big films at Sony, but those wonât be the focus of 2.0. He cited projects he helped shepherd, from 21 to The Social Network, American Hustle, Captain Phillips, Zero Dark Thirty, Karate Kid, Equalizer, Hitch and This Is The End as the kind heâd like to focus on.
âThese were dramas and comedies for sophisticated audiences that gave us the chance to work with high-quality filmmakers, and they made money,â Belgrad said. âThere is great gratification in those films, and you can have more autonomy and independence creatively because the fate of the studio doesnât hang in the balance. They were economically attractive then and they are becoming more so. Donât get me wrong. Tentpoles are important; every studio needs those billion-dollar-grossing movie. I had a breather where I got to think about what I want to be and who I want to be in business with, and I have a good sense of that now and that is what I want to roll into 2.0.â
When Belgrad exited, Sony chief Tom Rothman told Deadline he intended for Belgrad to become a key supplier and was incentivized to get him started. Sony has helped get 2.0 off the ground by bringing Belgrad in as financier and in some cases producer on key films on the studio slate, most of which Belgrad helped initiate while president.
âPeter Rabbit is the movie Will Gluck will direct, with Animal Logic deep into character development and animatics in Australia, and the live-action shoot starting early next year,â Belgrad said. âZombieland was one that Matt Tolmach supervised, but producer Gavin Polone, Ruben Fleischer and I have tried to figure out a sequel for the last four years, one that pleases Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson and Abigail Breslin. Wernick & Reese, who did the original before they did Deadpool, came back and polished a script that Dave Callaham wrote and Mike White and Oren Uziel did passes on. Itâs very encouraging.â Belgrad wonât produce this, just co-finance.
Bad Boys 3 brings him back to a franchise from his formative years at the studio. âI was fortunate to be the creative exec on the first one early in my career, with Simpson and Bruckheimer and a movie that really broke Martin Lawrence and Will Smith as big feature stars,â Belgrad said. The film, to be directed by Joe Carnahan, is on track to begin production after Smith completes the David Ayer-directed Bright for Netflix. âThe script reinvigorates in a smart way a quintessential action comedy franchise,â Belgrad said.
Itâs unclear if heâll be a producer on that one but he will join Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman and Elizabeth Cantillon as producer on Charlieâs Angels, the reboot which Banks will direct. Heâll also be a producer on Mulan, a live-action film that Jason Keller is writing, based on the Chinese myth of the female warrior who disguises herself as a man. âThe plan is to shoot predominantly or exclusively in China with a Chinese partner and a mostly Chinese cast,â Belgrad said. âItâs a Hollywood movie made for the world, but which we think will have immense appeal in China.â
He will join Jennifer Klein and Limanâs Hypnotic partner Dave Bartis in producing Mallory, a Sheldon Turner-scripted adaption of the Jeffrey Archer book Paths Of Glory.
Shepherding the projects will be Cassidy, who was a development exec at Summit and worked on acquisitions like The Hurt Locker and Fair Game, and homegrown projects like The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, before she was brought into Open Road by Tom Ortenberg. At Open Road she has been SVP Production and Acquisitions, overseeing films including Motherâs Day, Nightcrawler, Dope and Spotlight as well as Oliver Stoneâs Snowden, which plays the Toronto Film Festival.
âI met Sophie when she was Scott Greenbergâs assistant and was impressed by her taste and sensibilities,â Belgrad said. âShe will help spearhead our activity in television, as well.â
Fast-tracked
Global casting call, eh? Hmm, who might make a good Mulan?
Mulan is a solid play for Disney.
Disneyâs Live-Action âMulanâ Gets Winter 2018 Release Date
11:16 AM PDT 10/4/2016 by Pamela McClintock
Photofest
âMulanâ
The studio is launching a global casting search for a Chinese actress to play the legendary female heroine.
Disneyâs live-action retelling of the classic musical animated hit Mulan is a go.
The movie, which is being fast-tracked, will hit theaters Nov. 2, 2018, and be released in 3D, the studio announced Tuesday.
Disney is launching a global casting search for a Chinese actress to play Mulan. Hard to beat Zhao Wei, IMO, even though her version was weak. What can I say? Zhao Wei hypnotized me long ago.
The news that the studio is turning its 1998 animated hit into a live-action title comes after such successes as Maleficent, The Jungle Book and Cinderella, among other titles. And Disney is currently gearing up for the release of the live-action Beauty and the Beast, which opens March 17 and is expected to be one of the top-grossing titles of 2017.
The studio also announced that Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Jurassic World) were brought aboard to rewrite a spec script for Mulan that Disney bought in 2015. Jaffa and Silver also are working on the Avatar sequel.
The Disney team saw the spec, by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, as a jumping-off point for a more nuanced and elaborate adaptation, combining the legendary Chinese ballad and the 1998 animated film.
A director for Mulan has yet to be announced. Jason Reed is attached to produce along with Chris Bender and Jake Weiner.
Like the 1998 animated film, Mulan is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, the daughter of an aged warrior who disguises herself as a man in order to take her fatherâs place in the army and go to war. Aided by her trusted dragon, Mushu, she becomes a skilled warrior and one of the countryâs greatest heroines.
white male lead?
#MakeMulanRight :rolleyes:
10.10.2016
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CREATORS OF DISNEYâS LIVE-ACTION FEATURE FILM âTHE LEGEND OF MULANâ
Guest Post by ConcernedForMulan
A white merchantâs business brings him to the heart of a legendary Asian conflict â he unwittingly helps save the day while winning the heart of the Asian female. Am I describing the plotline of the Netflix series Marco Polo? No. Iâm describing the spec script that Disney bought for its live-action feature film, The Legend of Mulan, which is projected for release in 2018.
As an Asian American person in the industry, I am furious after reading this script. I am writing this letter anonymously so all the fans anticipating this remake will know how problematic it is in its current form. We must urge the creators of Disneyâs live-action Mulan to reconsider the story before the film goes into production.
The 1998 Disney animated classic focused on Mulanâs transition from being a young girl failing to fit the mold of a perfect daughter and wife to a heroine whose brave acts ultimately save ancient China. Her determination allows her to rise above the gender expectations of her culture and become the one who brings âhonor to us all.â Hers is essentially an Asian American tale because it fused Asian characters and culture with a coming-of-age heroâs journey that resonated with American audiences.
So why does the script for the live-action remake feature a white male lead?
The man is a 30-something European trader who initially cares only for the pleasure of women and money. The only reason why he and his entourage decide to help the Chinese Imperial Army is because he sets eyes on Mulan. Thatâs right. Our white savior has come to the aid of Ancient China due to a classic case of Yellow Fever. In this script written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, more than half of its pages are dedicated to this merchant who develops a mutual attraction with Mulan and fights to protect her in the ensuing battles. To top it all off, this man gets the honor of defeating the primary enemy of China, not Mulan. Way to steal a girlâs thunder.
I am deeply disturbed that a remake of the beloved Disney classic rejects the cultural consciousness of its predecessor by featuring a white male lead, once again perpetuating the myth that cultural stories are not worth telling without a western lens or star. Instead of seizing the opportunity to highlight a tenacious, complex female warrior, this remake diminishes her agency. But what I find equally troubling is the fact that Disney plans to cast a 16-17 year old established Chinese actress as Mulan, and will not be casting an Asian American.
Letâs set aside the clear pedophilic implications that arise when you cast a teenage girl alongside a 30-something romantic interest. That one is self-explanatory. I want to address the missed opportunity of tapping into the Asian-American actor populace who grew up watching the animated Mulan, eyes glittering to see themselves finally featured on-screen. The fact that Mulan resonated so strongly with American audiences with its all-Asian character lineup and Asian American voice actors is a testament to what this live-action film could accomplish if it would simply trust the successful 1998 form. Even though this spec script references the original âBallad of Mulan,â its cultural landscape becomes a mere backdrop to its tired Blockbuster-style romantic and fantastical storyline â as such, Mulanâs resonance as an Asian-American retelling is lost.
Letâs be real. Casting a Chinese actress as Mulan is a ploy to appeal to a Chinese market, which honestly will not be as enthusiastic as our American audience to see our retelling of a tale they know best. The animated film made $120 million in the U.S. and Canada combined, and completely flopped in Chinese markets because her character was so different from what the Chinese recognized. If this live-action film tries to cater to both the Chinese and American markets without understanding the cultural implications of its creative choices, this film will fall short of both. If the film splits focus from Mulan to a white male lead and is more interested in targeting a Chinese market with its casting, it will estrange its immensely devoted American audience.
The Mulan we know and love from 1998 is the main reason for the huge anticipation for this film. We expect it to be a thoroughly respectful homage to that Mulan. That Mulan had intricacy and depth as she struggled between honoring her father and finding her place in the world. And most certain of all, that Mulan did not need a white man to help fight her battles and give her a kiss at the end.
If this is the rendition of Mulan that is released, Disney will face an avalanche of backlash. This remake 20 years in the making would ethically set us back 40 years. But there is still time during this pre-production phase to really rethink the way we want to represent Asians and Asian culture in our media. There is time to hear the American fans of this story explain why Mulan of 1998 resonated with them so strongly. We can encourage the scriptâs new writers, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver of Jurassic World, to take these factors into account. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is, from both a producing and ethical standpoint, to do justice to this time-honored character.
Mulan is the heroine that we want. Not some white dude. Please do not disappoint us, Disney.
#MakeMulanRight
Nix that
Well, thatâs a relief. Iâve been hoping for a black male romantic interest for Mulan. 
DISNEY REBOOT
Donât Worry: Mulan Will Not Feature a White Male Lead
A source close to the project denied the rumor that swept the Internet Monday.
by YOHANA DESTAOCTOBER 10, 2016 6:40 PM
A scene from Mulan.
From Marka/Alamy.
Disney recently began its search for a leading lady to star in its upcoming live-action version of Mulanan actress that, the studio clarified, will definitely be Chinese. That declaration eased concerns that the film might end up whitewashing a story based in Chinese legend, like several films that have come before it. Much of that goodwill dissipated, though, on Monday, when rumors flew that the film will feature a white male lead. Now a source close to the project has confirmed to Vanity Fair that the lead love interest in the film will be a Chinese character after all.
On Monday, someone who said they had read a Mulan spec script posted an anonymous open letter to the site Angry Asian Man. The post claimed that the script featured a white savior type, a 30-something European trader who falls in love with a teenage Mulan. Actor Joel De La Fuente tweeted in support of the article, sharing that he also read the spec script. I can back you up on what youre saying. I confirm everything you said about that draft.
[QUOTE]
10 Oct
Angry Asian Man @angryasianman
That said, I KNOW there are other people in the industry who have seen this script and can back me up on this. #MakeMulanRight
Follow
Joel de la Fuente @joeldelafuente
@angryasianman I can back you up on what youre saying. I confirm everything you said about that draft.
10:53 AM - 10 Oct 2016
81 81 Retweets 164 164 likes
A source, however, tells V.F. that the spec script will not serve as the official script for the adaptation. The spec script was a jumping-off point for a new take on the story that draws from both the literary ballad of Mulan and Disneys 1998 animated film," the source said. "Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese.
The statement seems to confirm that the spec script might have included a white male lead, which would have been disappointing had it come to fruition. However, fans should be glad to know that when the live-action movie itself eventually hits theaters, Mulanâs story will stay true to the characterâs roots.[/QUOTE]
Alex Graves directing
âGame Of Thronesâ Alex Graves To Helm Sonyâs âMulanâ
by Mike Fleming Jr
October 17, 2016 1:03pm
REX/Shutterstock
EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures has set Alex Graves to direct Mulan, its live-action adaptation of the Chinese legend based on Hua Mulan, the young female warrior who takes her ailing fatherâs place in the Chinese Imperial Army.
RelatedâMulanâ Gets 3D, Live Action Treatment From Disney For 2018
There are two live-action versions of Mulan, but this one is being designed for the international marketplace so it pace wonât necessarily be determined by progress on the Disney film â this pic is a Chinese co-production, there will be a Chinese lead, and the film will be done through Sony Pictures International Productions. The Sony film is scripted by Jason Keller and produced by Doug Belgrad, whose 2.0 Entertainment will be a co-financier and producer of the film.
Graves has been directing some of the hottest TV series episodes from Game Of Thrones to Homeland, Bloodline and Shameless. WME reps him.
Iâm already reading some complaints that this should not have been a white director, that it should have been a Chinese director. I wonder if these critics ever bothered to see the ALL CHINESE Mulan that came out back in 2009. :rolleyes:
Eunice Kang
I stumbled over a queue of potential Mulans. I will post some.
ENTERTAINMENT
Meet the Canadian Actress Who Could Be Disneyâs Next Mulan
By Carl Samson Posted on January 23, 2017
A new name has been added to the growing list of actresses who might snag the lead role in Disneyâs live-action remake of âMulanâ.
Cpoplove received a tip from insider casting sources this week which claimed that the company is looking at Eunice Kang to play the highly-coveted character.
Kang is a Canadian independent film actress of Korean descent who appeared in FOXâs âLuciferâ. Sheâs skilled in muay thai and taekwondo, so itâs not surprising to hear sheâs being considered.
In addition to her martial arts prowess, Kang also speaks multiple languages, including Korean, Japanese and Mandarin.
Whether Kang becomes the legendary female heroine is yet to be seen. Last week, following strong speculations that 22-year-old Australian actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo bagged the role, Disney announced that theyâre âstill in the casting process.â
Nevertheless, itâs safe to expect that Mulan and her love interest will be Asian, or Disney will face the wrath of a fandom since 1998.
Other actresses rumored to play Mulan include Fan Bingbing, Katie Leung, Jamie Chung, Zhang Ziyi and Ting-ting Hu.
Natasha Liu Bordizzo
Meet the Aussie Woman Who Could Be Disneyâs Mulan
By Carl Samson Posted on January 18, 2017
With Disneyâs live-action retelling of the 1998 animated film bound to hit theaters next year, fans are eagerly pitting names for the coveted lead role.
For some, âMulanâ might be Natasha Liu Bordizzo, a 22-year-old Australian actress who first appeared in last yearâs âCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny.â
Ah yes, we remember Natasha from CTHD2. She was one of the only good elements in that.
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1299684]I stumbled over a queue of potential Mulans. I will post some.[/QUOTE]
Just bring back Zhao Wei for a remake.
Niki Caro directs
Interesting choice. I loved Whale Rider (2002)
FEBRUARY 14, 2017 12:29pm PT by Rebecca Sun
Disneyâs Live-Action âMulanâ Finds Director (Exclusive)
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney; Han Myung-Gu/WireImage
Niki Caro, William Kong
Niki Caro will helm the film, while âCrouching Tigerâ producer Bill Kong is joining as executive producer.
Niki Caro, who broke through with the 2002 Maori family drama Whale Rider, will direct Disneyâs live-action Mulan, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
In an industry where female-helmed tentpoles are still rare, Caro will be the second woman at the studio to direct a movie budgeted at over $100 million. (Ava DuVernay is the first, with A Wrinkle in Time.)
Caroâs most recent film, Focusâ upcoming The Zookeeperâs Wife, has been praised for its gender-inclusive set by its star, Jessica Chastain. Disney previously worked with Caro, a New Zealand native, on the 2015 cross-country drama McFarland, USA, for which she lived in central California for nearly a year to immerse herself in the Mexican-American community there.
Disney also considered other women for its woman-warrior project, including Wonder Womanâs Patty Jenkins and Michelle MacLaren (Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones). Caroâs hiring likely takes her out of the running for Captain Marvel, the studioâs first female-fronted superhero movie. THR reported last August that she was on the short list of directors for that film, along with Homelandâs Lesli Linka Glatter and Lorene Scafaria, who helmed 2012âs Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.
Disney and producers Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weiner are taking pains to assure fans that Mulan will be culturally authentic. The studio had initially sought an Asian director for the project, meeting with Ang Lee (who passed, citing scheduling) and Rogue One star Jiang Wen, a hit director in his native China. Sony, which is developing a rival live-action film about the Chinese legend, also hoped to put an Asian director at the helm, but ultimately hired television veteran Alex Graves.
In addition to extensive conversations with Chinese cultural consultants and working closely with Disneyâs own China-based team, the studio is bringing on Hong Kong-based super-producer Bill Kong as executive producer. Kong produced the most successful Chinese films to cross over â Hero, House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, for which he received an Oscar nomination â as well as many of Chinaâs biggest hits, including Monster Hunt, Wolf Totem and Journey to the West.
Last fall, controversy briefly arose when reports surfaced that the original spec that Disney purchased, written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, featured non-Chinese characters, including a white male lead. Disney quickly responded that Mulan and all primary characters in its movie, which has been rewritten by Jurassic Worldâs Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, will remain Chinese. The studio is focusing its casting search in mainland China for the main roles, including the legendary woman warrior herself.
Caro is repped by UTA, Artists House and Lichter Grossman.
Rebecca Ford and Borys Kit contributed to this story.
Zhao Wei vs. Disney Princess
What Disney can learn from the 2009 Chinese live-action âMulanâ
HEREâS WHAT âHUA MULANâ GOT RIGHT
4:30 PM EST, FEBRUARY 17, 2017
DISNEYFEATURES
NASIM MANSURI
Disney seems to have a long-term plan to churn out live-action versions of its most popular animations, and Mulan is the latest of its projects. The live-action version of the Chinese legend is already getting us excited, but many people donât know that an excellent live-action Mulan movie already exists, made by a Chinese studio.
Hua Mulan (sometimes translated as Mulan: Rise of a Warrior) is a 2009 film by director Jingle Ma. It tells the story of Hua Mulan, a young woman who goes to war instead of her aging father, and rises in the armyâs ranks. It won many awards in China, and stars Wei Zhao as Mulan.
Disneyâs Mulan wasnât favorably received in China when it was released, with audiences saying it was too different from the original legend, and too Westernized. Now would be a good time for the studio to make the film as globally appealing as it can be â and Hua Mulan is a perfect example of how to do our favorite female warrior justice.
Here are some things Hua Mulan got right that Disney would do well to learn from.
Bringing more realism to the legend
Hua Mulan follows a plot that is more loyal to the original legend of Mulan, which states that she was a warrior for the Chinese army for over a decade. In the film, she even becomes a General, and retires with the nationâs respect, even after her identity as a woman is revealed.
Seeing Mulan lead thousands of men in Hua Mulan is a rare and empowering experience. Her struggles as a woman in a position of power, and the various dilemmas that come with commanding such a large number of people, are what bring intensity and meaning to the story. Mulan itself explored the concept of honor and femininity as well, but we only got a very small glimpse at the power that the legendary Mulan is said to have actually wielded.
While Disney may not want to make a movie that ventures too far from a family friendly atmosphere by portraying a Mulan who goes to war too realistically (as in, showing her killing enemies), it would be great to see her rise in the ranks and revolutionize such a male-dominated space the way she is said to have done.
Not shying away from the grit â but not making it too grim, either
Hua Mulan does an excellent job of skirting the line between grim tragedy and friendly comedy. With thousands of extras, the battle scenes are as breathtaking and inspiring as they are horrifying. Thereâs a scene where Mulan counts the dog tags of all the fallen soldiers, and a considerable amount of time is spent exploring her despair and responsibility as the armyâs struggle becomes more desperate. The emotional rawness of the story creates a very real, very flawed, yet very lovable Mulan â and takes audiences on an exploration of heroism, perseverance, and honor.
Of course, we canât expect Disney to go all out with blood and grit â theyâre bound to bring out Mushu, after all â but Disney prides itself on epic battles and fantastic special effects, and theyâll want to serve us war scenes as breathtaking and realistic as possible.
However, weâre all tired of grittiness for grittinessâ sake. Despite the heaviness of the more emotional scenes of Hua Mulan, there is sweetness and humor. The friendships in the army, much like those of Disneyâs version, can be laugh-out-loud funny, and the scenes of Mulanâs struggle to preserve her male appearance are equally fun to watch.
After all, audiences wonât be going to see Mulan to see war and sadness â the animated version was fun and adventurous, and although it had somber moments, it still managed to keep things just lighthearted enough for us to not get too sad. With animation, that lightheartedness is an easier task; portraying war with real actors could prove a more difficult challenge.
Establishing more depth in the main relationship
In Hua Mulan, Mulan and Wentaiâs relationship is beautiful, but it builds over a long period of time, and strengthens through their mutual respect as they both struggle to lead an army. Their love is based on that combination of trust built over time, and shared responsibility.
Shang and Mulan have what is possibly one of the best relationships Disney has ever come up with. Among the Disney âprincesses,â Mulan and Shang probably have the greatest chemistry and story of all, and scenes from the animated film continue to be shipping fuel. Presumably, theyâll want to replicate this relationship in the new live-action version.
However, the animated film was sadly limited to only a few glimpses of the developing relationship. It would be amazing if we could see more of the friendship between Shang and Mulan (as Ping) and how it becomes something more. Itâs rare in a âprincessâ movie to see romance begin with sincere friendship, and itâll be interesting to see how they deal with the confusion regarding Mulanâs gender in both a funny and profound way.
Giving it a more realistic conclusion
There are some scenes that could do with a makeover, especially at the very end. Mulanâs final trick to kill Shan Yu â by dressing three soldiers in drag and having them attempt to distract him â is hilarious in the animation, but would come off as strange and unrealistic in a live-action movie, and perhaps even a little offensive.
Hua Mulanâs approach to defeating the enemy is a much more powerful one. Although it equals Mulan in stealth and cleverness, it involves realistic strategy and power dynamics, and finally involves her making a deal that saves China through negotiation, rather than war â and making a terribly painful personal sacrifice.
Disney has a penchant for epic final battle scenes, but that isnât what happens in either Mulan or Hua Mulan. In both cases, itâs Mulanâs cleverness that saves the day. It would be great to see that cleverness translated into a realistic solution, in the same way it does in Hua Mulan.
Itâs not like Disney hasnât subverted its own canon, after all. In Maleficient, it isnât the princeâs kiss that lifts the spell. Disney could certainly benefit from giving Mulan a more epic finale, and perhaps one that does her legendary character justice.
Immersing us in historically-accurate China
Besides perhaps The Jungle Book, weâve yet to see a live-action adaptation that takes place in a non-European culture. In fact, this would be the first film to employ solely actors of color. What Disney decides to do here will be particularly interesting; since Aladdin will be getting its own adaptation soon, and Pocahontas could also follow in the live-action trend, the decisions taken here will likely set a precedent for what will be done with those films.
There were rumors earlier of Mulan having a white love interest, which now seem to be crushed, thankfully. We want to see a film with an entirely Asian cast â hopefully at least mostly Chinese â and get a chance to explore the scenery, sets and props of ancient China.
Although, itâs only fair to say that Hua Mulan also has its own white character â a Russian singer called Vitas, who inexplicably pops up now and again. Thatâs another tip for Disney: donât just insert white guys into the story for no reason.
Hua Mulanâs shots of rural China are beautiful and unique, and it would be amazing to see what Disney can do if they choose to show much of what they did in animation, with real sets and locations. Hopefully, Disney gets a chance to actually film in China itself.
All this doesnât go to say that we want a copy of Hua Mulan. Not at all. Hua Mulan is an excellent film in its own right, but itâs considerably more adult than Disney would ever dare make an adaptation. The realism of its wars and of the toll duty takes on Mulan and her companions is nothing like the fun, if occasionally emotional, adventure Disney took us on with Mulan.
Disneyâs version is a movie to be excited about, and the additions the animated film made to the legend are what makes it a classic. It would be amazing to see Mushu, Shang, the ancestors, and maybe even the cricket, on screen, as well as the songs, of course! âMake a Man Out of Youâ with real actors will definitely be one of the biggest highlights.
So far, we know that Mulanâs director will be Niki Caro. Although she isnât Chinese, a matter that raises a lot of questions about representation, itâs still encouraging to see a female director chosen â and if Caroâs powerful film Whale Rider is any indication, sheâs rather good at telling empowering stories with female leads. Hopefully, the rest of the team can be filled with talented Chinese filmmakers that deserve to have a hand in rendering such a culturally significant story properly.
After all, Mulan is primarily a Chinese legend, and her story spans a history much longer than the 18 years since Disneyâs animation came out.
In the meantime, go check out Hua Mulan, which is a fascinating film (although a considerably more adult one; youâve been warned)!
I donât really agree with this author. I wasnât overly impressed by Zhao Weiâs Mulan. And Iâm a fan of Zhao Wei.
really?
As in hentai or live action? What year was that?
[QUOTE=GeneChing;999741]As in hentai or live action? What year was that?[/QUOTE]
Live,geezâŚI donât know the year, LOL !
It was one of those parody p0rn clips.
Turns out thereâs an Asian porn star that goes by the name Mulan
Thereâs a lot of Mulan hentai-like stuff, as with all the Disney princesses. Search that for yourself. :rolleyes:
NOT Hentai
Although this does faintly remind me of that Playboy artist Patrick Nagel.
Mulan, Disneyâs Often-Forgotten Princess, Gets an Absolutely Perfect Tribute
Germain Lussier
Thursday 4:00pm Filed to: THIS IS AWESOME
So often Mulan gets forgotten. The 1998 Disney film came out a little between the companyâs golden eras. Because of that, we donât see as many t-shirts, dolls, or posters of Mulan like you do for Ariel or Belle. But Disney is about to release a tribute that almost makes up for that. Almost.
Yes, the company is prepping a live-action remake, a fitting tribute indeed, but thatâs years away. This tribute is out Friday, and itâs in the form of a striking new poster from Cyclops Print Works. The poster by artist Craig Drake is a 24 x 36 inch, 23-color screenprint, in two editions. Drakeâs style combined with the colors and details create a simply gorgeous image, one that captures the power and beauty of the character in an absolutely perfect way.
The top version is an edition of 95. And the bottom is an edition of 50. They cost $100 and $110 respectively. So itâs a relatively expensive, very small run to be sure, but anyone who gets one will have just about the best Mulan poster ever.
The posters go on sale at noon PST on Friday January 27 to celebrate the Lunar New Year at Cyclops Print Works.
As for that live-action movie, no real news has cropped up since last October when it was announced the film would be released November 2, 2018. But youâd expect at least a director to be announced soon. Itâs going to be written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin as âa more nuanced and elaborate adaptationâ of material âcombining the legendary ballad and the 1998 animated film.â
November 8, 2019 or December 20, 2019?
Disneyâs Mulan Live-Action Movie Gets Delayed Until 2019
BRIAN GALLAGHER 07.15.2017
Earlier today, Disney held its live-action films panel at the D23 Expo, where the studio unveiled new footage and details for its upcoming slate, including upcoming Marvel movies, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and much more. The studio also announced a few changes to its release slate, pushing the highly-anticipated Mulan live-action movie out of its previously-announced November 2, 2018 release date, and into an unspecified date in 2019. While no specific date was given, Disney has already staked out two dates for 2019 movies, on November 8, 2019 and December 20, 2019, so itâs possible this project could take one of those slots.
While Disney took the opportunity at the panel to announce cast members for other upcoming projects such as their Aladdin remake, no casting announcements were made for Mulan, which could be why the release date was shifted. The Mulan 2018 release date was announced last October, although there has never been any confirmation as to when production may begin. The live-action remake had come under fire last fall, when rumors circulated that the studio was seeking a white male character for the lead role, instead of the title character Mulan, but the studio debunked that rumor, stating that Mulan will have an âall-Asian cast.â
The rumor surfaced after it was reported that the Mulan spec script Disney purchased, from writers Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, centers on a, â30-something European trader who initially cares only for the pleasure of women and money,â who becomes the love interest to Mulan. Disney responded by stating that the script was a âjumping off point,â for a story that will draw from both the âliterary ballad of Mulanâ and the 1998 Disney animated film, which featured Ming-Na Wen as the voice of the title character. Disney also confirmed that Mulan and all of the primary roles, including the love interest, will in fact be Chinese.
The last update we had from Mulan was back in March, when director Niki Caro revealed that this story will be a âmuscular piece of girly martial arts extravaganza in China.â The director also revealed that she will begin preparing for this movie by taking martial arts lessons herself, alongside her nine-year-old daughter. She also shot down talk that this would be a live-action musical, with no songs being planned at this time, despite the animated version featuring beloved songs such as âReflectionâ and âIâll Make a Man Out of You.â Itâs possible that the studio could change its mind regarding the musical aspect and itâs possible that may be why the release date changed, but no specific reason was given by the studio.
Niki Caro, who most recently directed McFarland USA for Disney, is directing from a script by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, who were brought in to rewrite the original spec. The original Mulan earned $120.6 million domestically and $304.3 million worldwide when it first hit theaters in 1998. Oddly enough, Mulan was one of the few Disney Princesses who were not shown in a new scene from Wreck-It Ralph 2, which features the voice talent of Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige OâHara (Belle), Linda Larkin (Jasmine), Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel), Kelly MacDonald (Merida) and Kristen Bell (Anna). Hopefully weâll find out more about this Mulan remake soon.
Missed the Wreck-It Ralph 2 snub. :o
Crystal
NOVEMBER 29, 2017 9:00am PT by Rebecca Sun, Rebecca Ford[URL=âhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/disneys-mulan-finds-star-1061585â]
Disneyâs âMulanâ Finds Its Star (Exclusive)
Getty Images
Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is set to play the lead in the live-action adaptation directed by Niki Caro.
After a yearlong worldwide search, Mulan has been found.
Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is set to star as the title woman warrior in Disneyâs live-action adaptation of the classic Chinese tale.
A team of casting directors visited five continents and saw nearly 1,000 candidates for the role, which requires credible martial arts skills, the ability to speak English and the most ineffable requirement of all: star quality. In deference to cultural accuracy, the studio focused on locating an ethnically Chinese young woman to play Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to take her fatherâs army conscription in fifth-century China.
In Liu, Disney found the complete package. Nicknamed âFairy Sisterâ by the Chinese public for her pure and innocent looks and image, she has been one of the countryâs most popular actresses of the current generation since breaking out with a series of hit television dramas in the mid-2000s, while she was still a teenager enrolled in the Beijing Film Academy. She is fluent in English, having lived in Queens, N.Y., for part of her childhood, and acted in English in both 2008âs The Forbidden Kingdom, alongside Jackie Chan and Jet Li, and 2014âs Outcast, opposite Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen. She also starred opposite Emile Hirsch in Danish auteur Bille Augustâs period romance The Chinese Widow, which opened the Shanghai International Film Festival in June.
Liu, who has served as a brand ambassador for Dior, Tissot, Garnier and Pantene, most recently starred in the fantasy romance Once Upon a Time, which earned $82.3 million in China this summer. Her other credits include 2012âs The Assassins, which earned Liu her first major acting award (at the Macau International Movie Festival), Never Gone and The Four trilogy. She recently signed with WME and continues to be represented by Chinese manager David Chen.
Niki Caro, who most recently helmed The Zookeeperâs Wife, is directing Disneyâs live-action Mulan, which is produced by Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weiner and eyeing a 2019 release. The 1998 animated version, voice-starring Agents of SHIELDâs Ming-Na Wen alongside Eddie Murphy and B.D. Wong, earned $304.3 million worldwide as well as Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
Iâm happy for Crystal, but having met her, no amount of make-up and cross-dressing will ever make me mistake her for a man.