The Legend of Mulan

[Ireth]

So apparently Disney's live-action remake of Mulan will star a random white guy instead of the actual title character. Dunno about you, but this makes me angry for multiple reasons. #MakeMulanRight indeed.

An Open Letter to the Creators of Disney's Live-Action Feature Film 'The Legend of Mulan'

 

[Devor]

As I understand, that's the script they bought. But scripts change a lot before they get produced. There's no telling what their actual intentions are with it.

 

[Devor]

And Disney has responded.

Epicstream

"The spec script was a jumping-off point for a new take on the story that draws from both the literary ballad of Mulan and Disney’s 1998 animated film," the source said. "Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese."

 

[Heliotrope]

Yeah, Devor is totally correct. The script they buy and the finished product you see are often totally different.

Speilburg is notorious for buying scripts because he likes the 'premise' and wants the rights to it, but then he changes most of the story.

 

[La Volpe]

This seems like an ambiguous article. On the one side, they get angry that the movie script features a white guy who will essentially take over the agency of the title character (which is a fair point to get angry about, since Mulan is supposed to be the hero of the story). But on the other hand, they get angry because of the choice of using a Chinese actress to play the character in a movie about a Chinese folk tale in China. I.e. it's arguing two opposite points at the same time.

'Stay true to the original!' on the one hand, and 'Pander to the (Asian) American audience!' on the other.

Or am I missing something here?

 

[Ireth]

This seems like an ambiguous article. On the one side, they get angry that the movie script features a white guy who will essentially take over the agency of the title character (which is a fair point to get angry about, since Mulan is supposed to be the hero of the story). But on the other hand, they get angry because of the choice of using a Chinese actress to play the character in a movie about a Chinese folk tale in China. I.e. it's arguing two opposite points at the same time.

'Stay true to the original!' on the one hand, and 'Pander to the (Asian) American audience!' on the other.

Or am I missing something here?

No, you're spot on. Though the voice actress for Mulan in the original was apparently Chinese-American, so... *shrug*

 

[Addison]

I know scripts change a lot form initial concept to final, filmed product. But seriously? Uh, is there any kind of supervision or director of writers for those wanting to make sequels, re-makes of Disney films so they aren't butchered, destroyed, ruined, or piss off their fan base and thus lose profits? If not there should be. They kinda did the same thing in season 4 of Once Upon a Time. They let Kitsis and Horowitz rip off and....basically "Blech!" all over Frozen and, as a tangent, the beloved fairy tale Frozen is based off. My sister stopped watching Frozen and Once after season 4A.

My sister and myself are fans of Mulan, to name a few Disney movies. So, Ireth, where can I send an angry letter? Or is there a poll or petition someplace where we can put our vote?

 

[Devor]

@Addison, as I posted above, Disney has already confirmed that the main characters in Mulan will all be Chinese.

Again, this isn't even the first draft of a script they want to use. It's a spec script that they bought as a reference for the people actually writing the movie script. They could've bought it for as little as a scene they kind of liked.