How Mulan 2020’s Animated Movie Cameo Happened | Screen Rant
WARNING: Spoilers for Mulan (2020) ahead.
How Disney's Mulan, the live-action remake of the 1998 animated movie, managed to include a cameo by a member of the original voice cast. The latest in a line of remakes of Disney's animated hits, Mulan is a less comedic take than its 1998 predecessor on the Chinese folk tale about a girl who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her father in the military. Director Niki Caro (The Zookeeper's Wife) headed the production, with a script by writing duo Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (War for the Planet of the Apes, Jurassic World) alongside Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek.
Mulan was meant for a wide theatrical release, but because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Disney chose to release the film on its streaming platform, Disney+. Critics favorable to the film lament the lack of a deserved theatrical release for the visually impressive war epic, and at a $29.99 price point, some fans have taken issue with the release. Its streaming debut is not the only controversy to involve the film, as activists aligned with the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong have called for a boycott of Mulan because of lead actress Liu Yifei's statements in support of the Hong Kong police. However, if there's one aspect of Mulan that seems to be near-universally liked, it's the cameo in the film's third act, wherein Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Mulan in the 1998 movie, appears.
In an interview with The New York Times, Wen spoke about how the cameo came together and how it almost didn't happen due to her commitment to filming Agents of SHIELD. After Mulan saves China and is set to be honored by the Emperor, Wen appears wearing the character's iconic green dress from the animated film. She bows, presenting Yifei's Mulan, symbolically endorsing her successor. However, Wen's cameo was originally going to be different, and almost didn't happen. She said:
I was going to be the potential mother-in-law for the matchmaker scene, but because of the weather, they needed me to be out there for a month just in case. The producers of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” just threw up their hands: “We can’t lose you for a month!” … So we sort of let it go, and then Jason and Niki [Caro, the director] came up with this great idea where instead of shooting an entire scene, I’d just make a cameo at the very end to announce Mulan to the emperor. I thought that was very appropriate and just wonderful, a little Easter egg where I could pass the baton. And this time, they only needed me there for a week. So it all worked out!
It's an elegant homage to the animated classic that will no doubt please fans of the original. Mulan deviates quite a bit from its predecessor compared to other Disney live-action remakes, leaning into the action-adventure by dropping comic relief Mushu and the musical numbers that were focal points of the original. In this way, it is more of a reimagining of the Chinese fable than a faithful remake of the 1998 film. It is precisely because Mulan deviates so much from the original that this cameo is so impactful. It communicates that the remake does not intend to overwrite the original, but pays respect to it and the first actress to portray Mulan over 20 years ago. It's good the filmmakers were able to make something work with Wen so that she could be included in the new Mulan.
Mulan's performance could be a watershed for the Mouse House. Depending on the financial success of the release, Disney could look to produce more quality content for its streaming service or opt for hybrid theatrical-streaming releases for future films. Depending on the reception of the film, it could open new doors for Disney remakes deviating more significantly from their predecessors. Already on the docket is a live-action remake of 1997's Hercules, with Anthony and Joe Russo, directors of Avengers: Endgame, set to produce. Perhaps it will follow in Mulan's footsteps and reimagine the Greek myth as an epic adventure. Whatever the case, it seems Disney's remakes will never forget where they came from.
Source: New York Times