Mulan

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MULAN LEGEND Review: Mulan Beyond Disney

While in the West we are still mired in the controversy of Disney empire’s decision to not release its Mulan in theaters and relegate it to its digital platform at what some consider a very high price. In this messy 2020, the vast chinese streaming platforms have released around six films about the character, and probably there´s so much more to come. This Mulan Legend is not another adaptation of the story that we all already know. the plot is set after the original story and follows mulan already being a general, gathering a bunch of peculiar mercenaries to rescue a kidnapped princess. In this adventure, the plot doesn´t revolve just around Mulan, sharing an equal protagonism with her supporting characters, and being the center of the plot the mission that they have to accomplish. Filled with heroism and unbridled action, the film opens with a spectacular action sequence, under […]

MULAN: Final Trailer Streams Ahead Of September 4 Launch On Disney+

Lee B. Golden III

Like it or not, Niki Caro’s Mulan is coming exclusively to Disney+ subscribers, and if you’re one of them, you’ll need to pay an additional $29.99 to buy the film and watch it. The good news though is that by buying the film, you’ll own it, and get to see it as many times as you want, which, for what it’s worth is.. well, a deal. BUT, you be the judge. Best of all, really, is that people will finally get to see the film after months of having its release shelved due to the closure of theaters in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The film was supposed to open in March, and then was scheduled a few times this summer until ultimately its rollout on Disney+ became the final solution, and I wouldn’t be surprised if future Disney titles got the same treatment. For now, the official, and probably […]

MULAN: A Warrioress Answers The Call In The Official Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

Indeed, there will be some more fantastical elements respective to the original property with Niki Caro’s Mulan now in full swing. The first official trailer is out following this year’s teaser and it doles out much more in terms of story and characters, and excitement. It’s also the latest live-action incarnation of the character to surface since Jingle Ma’s film in 2009. The cast is led by Crystal Liu who plays the daughter who takes the place of her father, ailing solider conscripted into military service by the Emperor. Disney is releasing the film in the Spring with an ensemble including Tzi Ma, Gong Li, Xana Tang, Jet Li, Donnie Yen and Jason Scott Lee. Peep the trailer above and the latest poster below!

MULAN: Crystal Liu Yifei Defies Conventions In The First Official Teaser For Disney’s Live-Action Epic

Lee B. Golden III

To think at any point before last year we could have ended up with a whiter version of Walt Disney Pictures’s current live-action incarnation of Mulan is just crazy on its face. Sadly, that’s a reality long etched in Hollywood history and one that the town is now tackling one film at a time, and especially with helmer Niki Caro’s latest prospective feat from the House Of Mouse as it now samples the goods for the masses with an official teaser now online. When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her […]

MULAN: Liu Yi-Fei Strikes In The First Official Photo Signaling Production

Lee B. Golden III

Dropping a nice little jewel online, the first official look at actress Liu Yi-Fei in the title iteration of Mulan arrived via Twitter on Monday. The photo signals the official launch of production from Disney with Whale Rider and McFarland, USA helmer Niki Caro directing. Actress Liu, whose preceding credits also include The Forbidden Kingdom, Outcast, The Four trilogy and Once Upon A Time, revives the fandom stemming from an ancient folkloric tale of a young Chinese maiden who masquerades as a male soldier in order to save her father. Disney rolled out two animated films both in 1998 with the Oscar nominated Mulan, and as a DTV release in 2004 while actress Zhao Wei took the mantle for a mainland production in China under director Jingle Ma in 2009. Liu leads a cast that includes action legends Donnie Yen and Jet Li, New Zealand actress Xana Tang and actresses […]

Disney’s Live-Action MULAN Casts Jason Scott Lee For Villain Role

Lee B. Golden III

While the elongated production process for Niki Caro’s live-action reinstallment of Disney property, Mulan, moves forward, the studio has just cast actor Jason Scott Lee according to Rebecca Sun at The Hollywood Reporter. Lee’s casting sees him starring in the villainous role of Bori Khan, described in the report as “a warrior leader who is intent on avenging his father’s death”. The casting reunites Lee and martial arts star Donnie Yen following their on-screen bout in Yuen Woo-Ping’s Netflix wuxia adventure, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword Of Destiny. They’re joined by The Forbidden Kingdom co-star, actress Crystal Liu who was cast out of thousands of candidates who auditioned for the title role of the heroine who desperately takes her father’s place during military conscription. Mulan also hails as Lee’s latest Disney-related project since voicing actor David in the 2002 animated movie, Lilo & Stitch. The actor is best known for […]

MULAN Adds Utkarsh Ambudkar And Ron Yuan

Lee B. Golden III

Fans itching to catch Niki Caro’s live-action Mulan will have to wait at least another year following its recent release date push to March 27, 2020. Until then, at least sooner news will have fans excited over casting with a Deadline exclusive on Wednesday revealing Utkarsh Ambudkar (The Mindy Project, Pitch Perfect, upcoming Blindspotting) and Ron Yuan (Blood And Bone, Netflix’s Marco Polo) now joining live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 animated hit film. Ambudkar will play the role of a con artist named Skatch while Yuan will portray Sergeant Qiang, the fiercely loyal second in command of the Imperial Regiment. Their names currently add to the already cast Jet Li, Gong Li And Xana Tang, with Donnie Yen in the role of Commander Tung who mentors our titular heroine who secretly replaces her ailing father upon military conscription to stave off a Hun invasion – She will be played by […]

MULAN: Jet Li, Gong Li And Xana Tang Join The Cast For The Live-Action Film

Lee B. Golden III

News seems to be fast-tracking this week for Walt Disney Pictures amid the current progress toward reviving the studio’s animated gender-bending classic, Mulan. Following the addition of international action star and actor Donnie Yen for the role of Commander Tang on Wednesday, three new names are now circling the live-action production: International action star Jet Li (Hero, The Expendables Trilogy), distinguished actress Gong Li (Curse Of The Golden Flower, Miami Vice, The Monkey King 2) and New Zealand actress Xana Tang (Filthy Rich, Dead Lucky). As Rebecca Sun’s exclusive at The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday confirms, Jet Li is in final talks to play the Emperor of China. The report also cites at least two moves signaling departures from the Barry Cook/Tony Bancroft-directed 1998 film, highlighting actress Li for the role of a powerful witch, and actress Tang who will play Mulan’s sister. Actress Crystal Liu is headlining the cast […]

MULAN: Donnie Yen To Make A Man Out Of Our Heroine In The Live-Action Adventure

Lee B. Golden III

Beyond recent progress on Big Brother and Enter The Fat Dragon and the production start of Ip Man 4, time will tell what lies ahead for actor and action star Donnie Yen. That said, if Mike Fleming Jr.’s exclusive at Deadline is any indication, a starring role in Disney’s own live-action version of Mulan is very likely to soon follow. The report confirms Yen for the role of Commander Tung, mentor and teacher to Mulan, with Yen marking this as his second Disney feature since playing the memorable role of blind warrior Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Whale Rider helmer Niki Caro is set to direct the film which has since nabbed The Forbidden Kingdom, The Four and Once Upon A Time actress Crystal Liu for the starring role – the result of an expansive casting search that implored the studio to push its release of […]

Crystal Liu Lands The Coveted Role In Niki Caro’s MULAN For Disney

Lee B. Golden III

I was irking to find out what exactly were the ins and outs of The Hollywood Reporter’s exclusive post on Tuesday about the upcoming Mulan film from director Niki Caro. Apparently that report had been retracted from the bulletin so I didn’t forward anything and especially since other trade sites didn’t echo the news. Thus, the word is officially out now and with none other than actress Crystal Liu (The Forbidden Kingdom, The Four franchise, Once Upon A Time) having nabbed the heralded role telling of a young girl who bends her gender to join the military in place of her sick father in lieu of a forthcoming invasion. The film opens in 2019 apart from Sony’s own development of a live-action take on the character with a date pending. Liu was one of a reported 1,000 candidates for the production’s five-continent visit per its search for an Asian lead […]

Disney’s Live-Action MULAN Sets Niki Caro To Direct!

Lee B. Golden III

After garnering praise for her most recent work on The Zookeeper’s Wife starring Jessica Chastain, McFarlane, USA helmer Niki Caro is reportedly being eyed to direct Disney’s own upcoming live-action Mulan film. The film is one of two titles related to the Disney IP with the other being housed at Sony with Alex Graves directing for a late 2018 release. The report from THR notes that Caro’s hiring beats out directors Michelle McLaren and Wonder Woman helmer Patty Jenkins among those shortlisted, including hit filmmaker, actor Jiang Wen of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story fame. Produced by Chris Bender, Jason Reed and Jake Weine, the latest script from Jurassic World scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver will focus its own take with an all-Asian cast on how a young maiden takes the place of her ailing father and ultimately becomes one of China’s most legendary heroines. Caro’s sophmore directing […]

Sony Brings Alex Graves On Board To Direct Its Own Live-Action MULAN Movie

Lee B. Golden III

I caught cow eyes while reading the latest article at Variety telling of another feature film rendition of the classic fabled character, Mulan. Disney is already working on its own version and recently became the center of criticism over a leaked version of its script which read with a white lead. Backlash from the masses eventually grew via the power of the press to the studio and so it goes, Asians are sure as set to lead THAT film. As for the one perpetuating THIS particular article, however, this one now has a director attached with Alex Graves, whose directorial credits primarily include hit HBO series epic, Game Of Thrones, as well as NBC series The West Wing and next year’s premiere of Taken. Penned by Jason Keller and co-financed by 2.0 Entertainment whose founder, Doug Belgrad, is producing, the film, from Sony as an international/Chinese co-production, will ultimately retell […]

Disney’s Live-Action MULAN Slated For November 2, 2018 In 3D

Lee B. Golden III

Fans of Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft’s animated hit, Mulan, can now ready their two year countdown. Reports are now out this week that Disney’s forthcoming live-action remake, announced last March, has begun the global search for the actress to take the title role for its 3D release on November 2, 2018. Avatar sequel co-scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver have been to tapped to follow-up on the work previously done by writers Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek for the script, and reportedly for a more nuanced, detailed combination between the classic heroine ballad and the inital animated feature. A director is also currently being sought after. via THR: 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 father’s place in the army and go to war. […]

Disney Takes To Task For A Live-Action MULAN Film!

Lee B. Golden III

There should be no shortage of US/Chinese co-productions these days with the longstanding popularity of Asian film lore also a factor. If anything, there’s even more potential than before to take what once might have been standalone films and turn them into sprawling 3.4-part serial movie epics similar to female-centric YA actioners like Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games and The Divergent Series franchises to name a few. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Disney grants the same treatment to their newly announced live-action revamp of the 1998 animated musical action adventure, Mulan. THR reports that screenwriters Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek have been brought on board with producers Chris Miller and J.C. Spink to furbish a live-action telling based on the film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook which told the story of a young woman who takes her father’s place in the Chinese army and ultimately becomes […]