Mulan Remake Director Debunks Rumors About Mushu

Those fans of the classic Mulan animated Disney movie hoping to see Mushu make an appearance in the live action remake are going to be a bit disappointed. Director Niki Caro opened up so some members about the press about some areas of her upcoming film which a faithful to the original animated movie but also revealed some changes she is making to the story. As it turns out, one of those changes is the removal of the fan-favorite dragon who was voiced by Eddie Murphy back in 1998’s movie.

“I think we can all appreciate that Mushu is irreplaceable,” Caro said. “You know, the animated classic stands on its own in that regard. In this movie, there is a creature representative – a spiritual representation of the ancestors, and most particularly of Mulan’s relationship with her father.”

Then comes the hammer: “But an update of Mushu? No.”

The spirit of dragon is still present, though. In images, like the one seen above, dragons play a part in the story as well as other mythical creatures – but not literally. They serve as symbols and metaphors, it appears. “So, on the left and right hand of the emperor is a dragon,” Caro said. “The dragon is representative of the masculine, and the phoenix is representative of the feminine.”

Mulan will be heavily influenced by gender roles and breaking down barriers often associated with the,. “In a movie, in a story that so much explores gender fluidity, I thought that that was a really nice and appropriate way to go,” she said. This prompted an explanation of one sequence which will be following the animated film quite accurately. “The matchmaker sequence from the animation, we were very, very faithful to that idea,” she explained. “And that’s the only time you see Mulan really dressed in a very feminine way, because all of her other costumes for when she’s a teenager are the costumes for a girl that likes to ride a horse, and a girl that likes to kick a ball, and are not so girly.”

Are you going to miss Mushu in the upcoming remake of Mulan? Was it smarter to cut the character out of the live action film? Do you think the dragon could have work in live action? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram and Twitter.

Mulan is set to hit theaters on March 27.

(via DigitalSpy)