Despite prominent theater closings due to the continued spread of COVID-19 (otherwise known as coronavirus), analysts say that Disney's MULAN is headed toward an epic $85 million dollar debut in the U.S., according to early tracking.
Should MULAN honor that projection, Disney's live-action tale of identity and the ownership of one's convictions would arrive as the biggest opening of 2020 to date – an achievement that is currently held by BAD BOYS FOR LIFE with $62.5 million. In some circles, there are those who predict that MULAN could match, or exceed, Guy Ritchie's live-action take on ALADDIN, which had launched to $91.5 million during its summer 2019 debut.
Directed by WHALE RIDER and THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE helmer Niki Caro, MULAN tells the inspiring story of a young Chinese maiden who disguises herself as a male warrior in order to save her father.
As part of a progressive play, Disney has cast a number of Asian actors to lead the film, with A-list stars like Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and Yifei Liu set to bring Disney's tale of defiying expectations and bucking tradition to life on the big screen. Co-starring in the film based on Disney's 1998 animated classic are Li Gong, Jason Lee Scott, Rosalind Chao, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Tzi Ma, Ron Yuan, Yoson An, Doua Moua, Jimmy Wong, Chen Tang, and Roger Yuan, among others.
After conducting a widespread survey, Hollywood box office analysts have failed to discover a slowdown in moviegoing in the U.S. due to coronavirus. That trend could change as the virus continues to spread, but for the moment, it looks as if viewers are still game to frequent cinemas despite the threat of infection. Sadly, territories the likes of China, South Korea, and Italy have seen their box office numbers drop considerably, since the outbreak began. Here's hoping that a breakthrough in fighting the disease is discovered sooner rather than later, as the world is already feeling the effects of the virus in a myriad of ways.
For now, MULAN is on track to arrive in theaters across the globe on its planned release date of March 27, 2020.