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Author: Jess Lee (Digital Spy’s Deputy News Editor)
After the successes of Aladdin and The Lion King, Disney’s next live-action adaptation is Mulan, releasing next spring.
Tzi Ma – who has appeared in films such as The Farewell and Arrival – plays Mulan’s father. Speaking to Digital Spy, he said that it feels right for the movie to be following the legend of Hua Mulan rather than being a direct adaptation of the animation, and shared his belief that the 2020 film is “superior” to the popular animation.
“This is not a remake of the animation,” he said, “so that would probably be disappointing for some people out there, because the animation was so well-received.
“I believe this live-action film is superior to the animation, very importantly because of the leadership. Niki Caro is the director. She’s bringing in this woman’s point of view, which it needs to be because this movie is about a woman warrior.
“Niki, given her track record with Whale Rider and McFarland, USA, understands how to tell these stories in a really compelling and meaningful way.
“Liu Yifei, the woman who’s playing Mulan, is in my mind one of the best actors out there. She’s so engaging and compelling that I believe the audience will fall in love with her at first sight, that they will follow her into this magical mystery tour that will transport this audience into another time.
“If you’ve seen the teaser, oh my god, it looks so gorgeous. Mandy Walker: woman cinematographer, exquisite taste, exquisite in framing things. Niki and Mandy work so well together. It’s amazing to watch them work together. The costume designer is also a woman, as well as the first AD (assistant director).
“And the fact that we are following the legend of Mulan as opposed to the following an animation of Mulan, I just feel in my bones that at least in terms of principle it is the right way to go. You hope there’s an audience out there that would appreciate this epic. It is an epic film.”
The first trailer was well-received, but some people on social media expressed disappointment in the lack of Mushu, a character in the animated film. Aside from the live-action movie not being a remake, Ma thinks Mushu wouldn’t work for the story that they are telling for an additional reason.
“Mushu is a dragon and a dragon is probably predominantly male energy, and we’re talking about a woman warrior,” he said. “I would think another mystical animal would be more apropos to Mulan as opposed to a dragon. That’s my take on it.”
One of the most interesting moments in the trailer was the fact that Mulan’s family were seen living in a tulou, which is associated with the Hakka people. Mulan is also often seen as being from north China, whereas tulous were built in Fujian in southeast China.
Mulan actor Tzi Ma explains why Disney’s live-action movie is “superior” to animation
And why no Mushu makes sense for the story.
By Jess Lee01/09/2019
Mulan, Liu Yifei
Disney
After the successes of Aladdin and The Lion King, Disney’s next live-action adaptation is Mulan, releasing next spring.
Tzi Ma – who has appeared in films such as The Farewell and Arrival – plays Mulan’s father. Speaking to Digital Spy, he said that it feels right for the movie to be following the legend of Hua Mulan rather than being a direct adaptation of the animation, and shared his belief that the 2020 film is “superior” to the popular animation.
“This is not a remake of the animation,” he said, “so that would probably be disappointing for some people out there, because the animation was so well-received.
Tzi Ma, 2019
Matt WinkelmeyerGetty Images
“I believe this live-action film is superior to the animation, very importantly because of the leadership. Niki Caro is the director. She’s bringing in this woman’s point of view, which it needs to be because this movie is about a woman warrior.
“Niki, given her track record with Whale Rider and McFarland, USA, understands how to tell these stories in a really compelling and meaningful way.
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“Liu Yifei, the woman who’s playing Mulan, is in my mind one of the best actors out there. She’s so engaging and compelling that I believe the audience will fall in love with her at first sight, that they will follow her into this magical mystery tour that will transport this audience into another time.
Mulan – Tzi Ma
Disney
“If you’ve seen the teaser, oh my god, it looks so gorgeous. Mandy Walker: woman cinematographer, exquisite taste, exquisite in framing things. Niki and Mandy work so well together. It’s amazing to watch them work together. The costume designer is also a woman, as well as the first AD (assistant director).
“And the fact that we are following the legend of Mulan as opposed to the following an animation of Mulan, I just feel in my bones that at least in terms of principle it is the right way to go. You hope there’s an audience out there that would appreciate this epic. It is an epic film.”
The first trailer was well-received, but some people on social media expressed disappointment in the lack of Mushu, a character in the animated film. Aside from the live-action movie not being a remake, Ma thinks Mushu wouldn’t work for the story that they are telling for an additional reason.
“Mushu is a dragon and a dragon is probably predominantly male energy, and we’re talking about a woman warrior,” he said. “I would think another mystical animal would be more apropos to Mulan as opposed to a dragon. That’s my take on it.”
One of the most interesting moments in the trailer was the fact that Mulan’s family were seen living in a tulou, which is associated with the Hakka people. Mulan is also often seen as being from north China, whereas tulous were built in Fujian in southeast China.
Is Mulan’s family Hakka in the live-action movie? Ma said that he didn’t know, but described the tulou as being a visually striking dwelling.
“That, I wouldn’t know,” he said. “That’s a Niki Caro question. The tulou is such an interesting dwelling and they still exist. People still live in them, and I think at least from a visual perspective, it’s much more interesting than the kind of dwelling at that time in the north.
“From a visual design perspective, it’s amazing that we replicated that whole community in New Zealand [where some of the filming took place]. It’s amazing. It’s like an ancient condo! And then you have the courtyard and people living around it. You can see everybody. There’s no kind of blind spot, so you really feel it’s one big family.
“Who knows! We don’t know – and the reason why I say that is, my family were supposed to be northerners, too. Supposedly, according to my family tree, we were from the north. But I ended up in Toisan (in south China), so I’m Toisanese.”