Walt Disney Studios debuted a brand new TV spot for Mulan during last night’s telecast of the 92nd Academy Awards. Featuring a few pieces of new footage from the epic, you can check it out in the player below. Despite the outbreak of the Coronavirus effecting countries around the world, resulting in theater shutdowns across China and causing massive revenue decline in the country’s box office, Disney still intends to debut the film on its March 27 release date as of this writing; however, it remains to be seen if the film will still be released in China at that time.
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There’s a lot riding on the movie’s success in the Middle Kingdom for the studio, especially since it’s US-China co-production but frankly it’s still too early to tell what will happen with the movie in six weeks time. Disney is likely expecting major returns on the film in China, but if the theaters aren’t open, that March release date isn’t going to happen for the movie.
Fans shouldn’t expect the new film to be a complete live-action retelling of the animated Disney movie, as director Niki Caro spoke about in an interview earlier this year. Some musical cues may be repurposed but don’t expect the film to have musical numbers or even a talking dragon.
“I mean, back to the realism question – we don’t tend to break into song when we go to war,” Caro told Digital Spy . “Not that I’m saying anything against the animation. The songs are brilliant, and if I could squeeze them in there, I would have. But we do honour the music from the animation in a very significant way. I guess that’s the biggest thing for me about making – remaking – an iconic title like Mulan in live-action. It’s the fact that it can be real, and it’s the real story of a girl going to war.”
Check out Mulan‘s official synopsis from Disney:
“Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s Mulan, in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known. 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 true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father.”
Mulan opens in theaters on March 27, 2020.
