New Disney’s Mulan Featurette Released

Disney+ has released a new featurette for Mulan offering fans a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming live-action adaptation with director Niki Caro talking about the acting and martial arts skills that star Liu Yifei brought to the film, as well as Donnie Yen‘s impressive sword skills. In the featurette, which you can check out above, Caro revealed that Yen’s skills were so fast that she had to reshoot the sequence in slow motion just to see what he was doing.

“One of my favorite moments was shooting Donnie Yen’s martial arts skills,” Caro said. “As Commander Tung, he does a sword display in front of all the recruits. The way he moves a sword, it moves so fast, I had to shoot the sequences again in slow motion just so I could see what he was doing. He is astonishing.”

Originally scheduled to be released in March, Mulan‘s release date was pushed back several times before Disney surprised fans and the entertainment industry by announcing that the film will be released as a premium purchase on its Disney+ streaming service. Mulan will arrive on Disney+ on September 4th for subscribers to purchase for $30, a one-time price that is in addition to the monthly subscription fee for Disney+. It’s a move that has been controversial among Disney fans, though Disney has confirmed that the $30 price isn’t a temporary rental. Once you’ve purchased the film, it remains in your Disney+ library as long as you have a subscription. The film will still be released in some theatrical markets as well, though Disney has yet to confirm when.

Directed by Caro, Mulan stars Liu Yifei, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Yoson An and Jason Scott Lee. You can read the official synopsis for the film below.

“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.”

Are you looking forward to Mulan? Let us know in the comments.