They are assisted by the witch Xianniang, who uses her magic to pose as a surviving soldier and report the attack to the Emperor of China he then issues a conscription decree ordering every family to contribute one man to fight Khan's forces. To the north, an imperial outpost is invaded by Rouran warriors, under the leadership of Böri Khan. Mulan, flustered, attempts to pour tea in front of the matchmaker, but a spider scares the former's younger sister Xiu, accidentally causing a mishap that destroys the teapot, leading the matchmaker to call her a disgrace in front of her family. As a young woman, Mulan is arranged to meet with a matchmaker to demonstrate her fitness as a future wife. In Imperial China, Hua Mulan is an adventurous and active girl, to the disappointment of her parents Zhou and Li, who hope that one day she will be wed to a good husband. 5.2 Lack of diversity in production team.At the 93rd Academy Awards and 26th Critics' Choice Awards, the film received nominations for its costume design and visual effects, as well as a Best Special Visual Effects nod at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. It received unfavorable reviews from fans of the original and Chinese critics, who criticized the character development, its cultural and historical inaccuracies, and its depiction of Chinese people. The film received generally positive reviews from Western critics, who praised the action sequences, costumes, and performances, but was criticized for the screenplay and editing. The film had a traditional theatrical release in countries without Disney+ where theaters had re-opened.ĭue to its overall limited theatrical release as a result of the pandemic however, the film grossed just under $70 million (not including revenue from Disney+ Premier Access) against a production budget of $200 million. Subsequently, the film was released on Septemby Disney+ for a premium fee known as Premier Access in countries where the service had launched. The film was originally scheduled for a wide theatrical release later that month, but was cancelled in the United States after being delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mulan held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 9, 2020. The film also received criticism for its production team largely consisting of white people, such as the hiring of Caro, rather than an Asian director. Over the course of production, the film was the subject of several controversies, including changes to the source material and filming in Xinjiang in light of the Uyghur genocide and Xinjiang internment camps. Filming took place in New Zealand and China from August to November 2018. Plans for a live-action remake began in 2010 but the project stalled in " development hell" for most of the decade. In the film, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, masquerades as a man to take her ailing father's place during a general conscription to counter the Rouran army in Imperial China.
The film stars Yifei Liu in the title role, alongside Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li in supporting roles. Directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin, it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1998 film of the same name, itself based on the Chinese folklore story Ballad of Mulan. Mulan is a 2020 American fantasy action drama film produced by Walt Disney Pictures.