Two years ago, Disney announced that Mulan would be the next Disney princess getting her own live-action remake. Now details of the film are finally starting to come out, and people are NOT happy.
This new Mulan won't be a musical. Let me repeat: The wonderful animated film that spurred hits "Reflection" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You" will no longer feature said songs. Literally why? What is the point of remaking the beloved, empowering musical sans music?
“From what I understand, no songs right now, much to the horror of my children,” director Niki Caro told Moviefone. Um, so if even the director recognizes this is a huge problem, I would think that she'd have some power over that. Caro just joined the team in February, so let's hope she gives Mulan life again by adding the classic numbers back in.
As expected, the internet is absolutely not having any of this. People in the Twitterverse are even canceling the film.
Mulan live action movie? Never heard of it pic.twitter.com/FSQVU9ny8f
— laura (@daisyrdley) March 19, 2017
mulan wont have songs how will my children know they must be swift as a coursing river with all the force of a great typhoon
— ralph dizon (@dizonyland) March 19, 2017
mulan didn't save the whole of china for I'll make a man out of you not to be included in the live action movie
— aurora (@keithkxgane) March 19, 2017
MULAN AINT MULAN WITHOUT REFLECTION pic.twitter.com/cWvynUUVdN
— rian (@jqsontodd) March 19, 2017
Disney: there will be no songs in the live-action Mulan
Me: pic.twitter.com/drn7fyq5Mx
— Emma (@emmii_young) March 18, 2017
@ the mulan remake without songs pic.twitter.com/905YVbQE6j
— mandy (@anglashamyqueen) March 18, 2017
Fans also want to make sure references to the LGBTQ+ community make it into the film. Not only does Mulan's own physical transformation relate to the transgender community, but Captain Shang's love for Mulan can imply he is bisexual since he had feelings for Mulan when she was dressed as both a man and a woman. BUT Shang might be replaced with a new character in the film.
so...mulan's new love interest doesn't like her until after she's revealed to be a woman....... justice for bisexual icon li shang
— sami (@ezekielfiguero) March 20, 2017
NO ICONIC SONGS?? NO BISEXUAL LEGEND CAPTAIN LI SHANG??? DISNEY AIN'T ABOUT TO RUIN MULAN LIKE THIS I WON'T ALLOW IT pic.twitter.com/fM5HXkY7SQ
— J (@multiversetony) March 19, 2017
mulan didn't save china for y'all to kill my chances of seeing trans anthem 'reflection' in live action https://t.co/PBcySMeErL
— (@deadcooI) March 19, 2017
So what good can be said about the Mulan remake? Well, it has a female director, which is very rare. And casting for the film is happening in China, so hopefully the movie will avoid whitewashing its Chinese characters. And according to Caro, we can get hyped for an "incredible, muscular piece of girly martial arts extravaganza in China," though I'm not exactly sure what "girly" martial arts is. Cool.
We're watching you, Mulan, and our expectations are high.