REMAKE: After an extensive audition process, Disney has chosen its next Fa Mulan to star in the upcoming live-action Mulan.
By Esther Whang, Staff Writer
Finally, after 20 years, Disney has decided to remake the original Mulan movie, released in 1998. After a long selection process, with countless auditionees hoping to play the role of Mulan, Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, was selected to play the lead role.
Yifei is a renowned Chinese actress who has starred in many films, both in China and America. Some past movies she starred in include Never Gone, The Third Way of Love, Love in Disguise, The Four, White Vengeance, Love of May, and more. According to Vanity Fair, a magazine of popular culture and fashion, Yifei has worked with famous actors, such as Jackie Chan, Nicholas Cage, Jet Li, and Hayden Christensen. The variety of films Yifei starred in will help her play the role of Mulan. Also, her appearances in popular American and Chinese films will appeal to both American and Chinese audiences, thus suiting her more for the role.
Yifei is much older than Fa Mulan’s character in the 1998 Mulan movie. Casting an older actress for Fa Mulan will allow the upcoming movie to capture more mature parts of her character that cannot be expressed with a young Mulan.
Disney originally announced that the live-action Mulan movie will be released in November, 2018, but recently announced they were changing the release date to an unspecified date in 2019. The reasons for this change are unknown, and people are wondering why this is so. Disney has yet to announce the rest of the cast.
Some people are wondering if Disney is going to make alterations to its remake. “I’m hoping [Disney] doesn’t change the meaning behind the film,” Poly student Johana Resendiz (10) said.
The original movie Mulan, released by Disney in 1998, was a hit, enjoyed by people worldwide. Making changes to the new movie may upset viewers who have already seen the original Mulan. However, since it is a remake, some changes are expected to be made to distinguish it from the original film.
Disney’s live-action Cinderella, released in 2015, was a big hit, grossing a profit of over 500 million U.S dollars. It was well-received by many viewers as it sharply contrasts from the original Cinderella, released in 1950. The movie produced a more distinct, realistic feeling as opposed to the innocent, musical feeling the first Cinderella movie had. Hopefully, like the Cinderella remake, Disney’s anticipated live-action Mulan will distinguish itself from the original movie and be as, if not more popular than its live-action Cinderella.