MULAN had its Hollywood premiere on Monday and the first reactions are rolling in. While the live-action take on the 1998 animated hit won't be the musical with the talking dragon that we all know and love, the fact that it breaks the mold and isn't a straight adaptation of its source material seems to be its strongest asset.
This early positive reception is something MULAN really needs right now. While the film is tracking for an opening of at least $85 million domestically, growing concerns over the coronavirus are likely to mute its global oresence, particularly in China where the film was expected to thrive before this global pandemic took place. With a reported budget of $200 million, it won't be an easy road for MULAN but the early positive feedback could help as reviews continue to come in.
Taking its inspiration from the 1998 animated film, MULAN starts Liu Yifei as the titular heroine Hua Mulan. In the film Mulan disguises herself as a man to spare her father from military service. The early reactions praise Yifei as a true standout of the film and director Niki Caro is earning kudos for directing style and for giving the film a sprawling and epic aesthetic that makes it different from the live-action Disney adaptations to come before it. Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Ron Yuan, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Nelson Lee, Chum Ehelepola, Gong Li and Jet Li also star in the film.
The more I hear about MULAN the more I think it's really going to surprise moviegoers. Hopefully it can achieve its true box office potential despite what's on due to the coronavirus. We'll all be able to see for ourselves when MULAN opens on March 27, 2000. You can check out the first reactions to the film below.