Mulan (Live-Action)

[Disney's Divinity]

I would love an Atlantis remake but I doubt that's ever going to happen. The remakes are only happening to bank on the popularity of the originals. They aren't going to spend big bucks on a remake of a flop. And Atlantis by its nature needs a big budget. It can't be DisneyPlus-ed. When remakes of more popular films like Dumbo and Mary Poppins are underperforming in theaters and remakes of Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp are relegated to streaming, I don't see Disney giving Atlantis a chance. Tron had become a cult classic by the time the sequel was greenlit and even then it didn't reach Disney's expectations. Atlantis never developed a cult following like Tron did. Also, that happened during a different time at Disney. They were more willing to take chances then than they are now.

I'm sorry, what I wrote must've been confused. I didn't mean to imply an Atlantis remake was going to happen. I said that the fact that they're looking for franchises is why I could believe all those reports somebody posted from that one website--I think it was WeGotItCovered--about Atlantis, Treasure Planet, and so many others that Disney was looking at various films and considering how they could possibly be utilized as a live-action franchise brand, not that I really believe most of them will ever actually happen to be clear.

That's why I don't expect a Lion King sequel either. Their fear is unfounded, in my opinion.

I think a sequel to that one was likely until the awards sort of dismissed it and it even got nominated for animation. Who knows. It still has a chance of happening.

[Farerb]

I never understood why Disney didn't go ahead with a sequel. Especially since Watson and the rest of the cast were very open to it. I'm guessing they were afraid that if a sequel failed at the box office it would tarnish the brand or affect the popularity of the original (even though some believe the remakes already do to that). That's why I don't expect a Lion King sequel either. Their fear is unfounded, in my opinion. Even if a sequel flopped (it wouldn't, at worst it would break even), the status of the original and the public perception of it wouldn't be affected.

Are you talking about the animated original or the remake original? Cause both The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast remakes got negative reviews, it's not like they have some sort of reputation to uphold and I don't think Disney will miss a chance to make more money.

A sequel to Beauty and the Beast is not something that can be done cause it was always a self contained story. The beast is no longer a beast and the conflict is resolved, what more can be done? Another Christmas special? Well they can remake that trash nobody really cares about.

I actually think they'll make sequels to The Lion King. Good reviews is not something they are looking for, especially with these remakes. If Maleficent got a sequel after being bashed, there's no reason that The Lion King aka the highest grossing animated film of all time, won't get one. Oscars be damned.

[Sotiris]

Are you talking about the animated original or the remake original?

The animated original. The remakes aren't well-regarded anyways. The Lion King in particular has been commercially successful in every medium. It's Disney's crown jewel. A sequel wouldn't have the guaranteed success of the remake. They wouldn't want to jeopardize a Lion King iteration being a failure and endure all the negative press and criticism that would follow.

A sequel to Beauty and the Beast is not something that can be done cause it was always a self contained story. The beast is no longer a beast and the conflict is resolved, what more can be done?

There's always a way to expand a story in the fantasy genre. It doesn't have to be good. Were Alice and Maleficent any more conducive to sequels than BatB? I don't think so. That can't be the reason they didn't go for it. Especially since there was already an idea in place for Gaston to survive and be turned into the new Beast.

[Disney's Divinity]

As for B&tB, the talk was that the hypothetical sequel would be of Gaston (Luke Evans) being in place of the old beast. The funny thing is I was thinking just last week about the original B&tB, and the moment in which Gaston attacks Beast at the end (when the Beast is alone, miserable, and pathetic, and who doesn't even fight him back). Of course it was a nice moment of resolution for Beast to choose not to kill Gaston, but I just had a random thought that Gaston was doing the same to the Beast that the Beast had done to the old woman--being cruel to someone so pitiful who deserves your mercy, but he couldn't see beyond the Beast's monstrous form any more than the Beast could see beyond the old woman's ugliness. Anyway, that was sort of an unrelated tangent, but I say that to continue with saying that, although I don't really want them to make a sequel to the live-action B&tB, if they did, I think I could learn to like that storyline now whereas I didn't care for it when I first heard about it.

You know, TLK really is in the same position as B&tB and Aladdin as far as--how are they going to make a sequel without music and also how would they manage to make a soundtrack that wouldn't be laughable standing alongside Elton John's and Menken/Ashman's originals even if they did?

[Sotiris]

Aladdin was never on the same pedestal as BatB and TLK. It's also more adventure-oriented so that's why Disney doesn't have any qualms about sequelizing it and possibly without any songs.

[D82]

Yes, I was surprised she mentioned that so early, before the film has even been released.

Well, Disney's always looking for their next franchise and they must believe Mulan's going to be a hit. Even before a film is released, they can gauge interest with trailer views, social media chatter and whatnot. It's not always accurate but it gives them the chance to start working on the next installment earlier.

Actually, I wasn't surprised that Disney was already contemplating a sequel, just that the director was already revealing it. But come to think of it, it has happened before. Rob Marshall and Emily Blunt, for instance, showed optimism about a possible sequel to Mary Poppins Returns during that film's promotion too.

[JeanGreyForever]

Well, Disney's always looking for their next franchise and they must believe Mulan's going to be a hit. Even before a film is released, they can gauge interest with trailer views, social media chatter and whatnot. It's not always accurate but it gives them the chance to start working on the next installment earlier.

Actually, I wasn't surprised that Disney was already contemplating a sequel, just that the director was already revealing it. But come to think of it, it has happened before. Rob Marshall and Emily Blunt, for instance, showed optimism about a possible sequel to Mary Poppins Returns during that film's promotion too.

At least that was already a sequel though so it didn't feel as outrageous to announce that before the film even released.

[D82]

Disney’s Animated Mulan Star Reacts to Live-Action Remake
https://comicbook.com/movies/2020/01/28 ... ulan-2020/

BD Wong, who starred as the speaking voice of Chinese army captain Li Shang in 1998's animated Mulan, says he feels "no ownership" over the cherished Disney film that inspired a coming live-action remake. The 1998 movie co-starring Ming-Na Wen as the titular warrior and Eddie Murphy as her dragon guardian featured a primarily Asian cast, including the voices of Freda Foh Shen, James Hong, James Shigeta, George Takei, and Pat Morita. Wong is "very proud" to have starred in the original Mulan, and the star is looking forward to the coming re-imagining starring Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Yoson An, Jason Scott Lee and Jet Li.

"I’m interested in it. I feel no ownership over the original movie," Wong said on EW's Couch Surfing. "I’m very proud to have been in that movie. It was one of the last movies they made where they actually drew the pictures, it was at the frontier of a time when Asian-American actors claiming Asian roles in voiceover became a thing. In a way that was really foreign to people before that, to have so many of the lead parts in that movie be played by Asian actors."

"That’s meaningful to me," Wong continued. "So I’m into that."

[D82]

New interview with Niki Caro and Bina Dai, the costume designer. They talk about the moment of the movie where they chose to use the music of the original, about the difficulty of designing the costumes for the witch, and when asked if there are any romantic elements in the film, the director replies that there's "definitely a romantic element in the film if you want to see one".

[JeanGreyForever]

New interview with Niki Caro and Bina Dai, the costume designer. They talk about the moment of the movie where they chose to use the music of the original, about the difficulty of designing the costumes for the witch, and when asked if there are any romantic elements in the film, the director replies that there's "definitely a romantic element in the film if you want to see one".

The bolded part is very strange. Is this suggesting that they've left a subtle romance so for people who want to see it as romantic they can take it that way but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way?

[D82]

The bolded part is very strange. Is this suggesting that they've left a subtle romance so for people who want to see it as romantic they can take it that way but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way?

Yes, that's what I think she means by that.

[Sotiris]

Is this suggesting that they've left a subtle romance so for people who want to see it as romantic they can take it that way but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way?

I think it means the romance is going to be more subtle this time around. There will still be scenes where the characters are shown to be romantically interested in each other (the scene where Chen is taking a bath with Mulan will probably be one of them) but it won't be as pronounced as it was in the animated film.

[Sotiris]

New TV spot. Mulan is long-range tracking for a $40-60 million opening weekend domestically.

Long Range Box Office Tracking: Disney’s Mulan
https://www.boxofficepro.com/long-range ... eys-mulan/

[D82]

New TV spot.

Also, the final trailer will be released on Sunday.

Some shots in that TV spot are quite spectacular. The trailers and promos for this movie have been really good so far in my opinion.

Mulan is long-range tracking for a $40-60 million opening weekend domestically.

Long Range Box Office Tracking: Disney’s Mulan
https://www.boxofficepro.com/long-range ... eys-mulan/

I thought it would be expected to open higher. We'll see, but I think they're underestimating the movie.

[Sotiris]

Some shots in that TV spot are quite spectacular. The trailers and promos for this movie have been really good so far in my opinion.

They're alright. The stunts and the choreography are not as innovative, slick or polished as the ones featured in actual Chinese epics and I'm not fond of the muted color palette. Can we get a remake where the colors actually pop and it doesn't look like someone ran the footage through a gray filter? Desaturation is an issue with modern cinema in general but Disney remakes are particularly guilty of that.

I thought it would be expected to open higher. We'll see, but I think they're underestimating the movie.

Me too. But I think it's one of those films that appeals more to international audiences. It should be huge in China which is the second-biggest market after the U.S.

[Farerb]

I thought it would be expected to open higher. We'll see, but I think they're underestimating the movie.

Me too. But I think it's one of those films that appeals more to international audiences. It should be huge in China which is the second-biggest market after the U.S.

Well they currently have a problem with China since if the situation doesn't get any better, then Cinemas will be closed in the time of the film's release.

[estefan]

I'm sure Disney and the other Hollywood studios are praying every day that the coronavirus epidemic ends soon. But, from the looks of things, it might take a while. There are already some American movies that were going to be released in China in February, like Sonic the Hedgehog, 1917, Dolittle and Jojo Rabbit, that are going to be delayed. I've even seen some estimate that the epidemic won't end until June. And how many people in China will still be interested in going to the movies and other often crowded places?

Human lives are obviously way more more important than how a movie performs at the box-office, though. And to the Chinese government's credit, they did reveal to the world and try to contain this virus a lot quicker than they did SARS back in 2003. So here's hoping this is resolved as soon as possible and China (and the rest of the world) can return to a state of normalcy.

[D82]

Another video in which the director and the costume designer are interviewed: http://www.sensacine.com/actores/actor- ... a=19564418

The stunts and the choreography are not as innovative, slick or polished as the ones featured in actual Chinese epics and I'm not fond of the muted color palette.

It's true that the real Chinese epics are much more spectacular visually, but I didn't expect Mulan to be on the same level as them. In my opinion most, if not all, of these remakes have less impressive visuals and are usually less epic than their animated counterparts, which is weird to me, because supposedly that's one area where the live-action versions could have an advantage over the animated ones.

I'm sure Disney and the other Hollywood studios are praying every day that the coronavirus epidemic ends soon. But, from the looks of things, it might take a while. There are already some American movies that were going to be released in China in February, like Sonic the Hedgehog, 1917, Dolittle and Jojo Rabbit, that are going to be delayed. I've even seen some estimate that the epidemic won't end until June. And how many people in China will still be interested in going to the movies and other often crowded places?

Maybe Disney can do the same and delay the release of Mulan there if the situation doesn't improve.

[Sotiris]

In my opinion most, if not all, of these remakes have less impressive visuals and are usually less epic than their animated counterparts, which is weird to me.

That's true. Some people attribute that to the difference in mediums as live-action is usually more grounded in realistic cinematic conventions than animation but I'm not sure I buy that. There are tons of live-action films with breathtaking visuals and innovative fantasy sequences but the Disney remakes seem unwilling to do that, perhaps in order to accentuate the difference between the original and the remake. Or maybe it's just sheer incompetence. A lot of different filmmakers with different styles and taste have directed Disney remakes and yet none of them come even close to matching the brilliant visuals of the originals. How does one explain that? Is it a directive from the studio? Do the filmmakers chosen not understand or appreciate the material? A slavish devotion to realism? A fear of looking cartoony or superficial?

[D82]

Some people attribute that to the difference in mediums as live-action is usually more grounded in realistic cinematic conventions than animation but I'm not sure I buy that.

That occurred to me too, but you're right, with the advances in technology that there are now, and as other films have proven, they should be able to do pretty much the same than can be done in animation.

There are tons of live-action films with breathtaking visuals and innovative fantasy sequences but the Disney remakes seem unwilling to do that, perhaps in order to accentuate the difference between the original and the remake.

I hadn't thought of that. It could be a reason, but yes, it's strange they don't try to make them more spectacular. They could have great visuals and still look different than the originals.