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The live-action remake of “Mulan” premiered on Disney’s streaming platform on Friday amid the coronavirus pandemic and renewed calls for its boycott over the star’s support of Hong Kong police during protests. in favor of democracy.
Jason T. Reed, a “Mulan” producer and former Disney executive, expressed his support for Liu Yifei, a Chinese-born actress who plays the title role, during an interview with Yahoo Finance’s The Final Round on Friday.
“Well, I think, first of all, it’s a very difficult situation for artists who live and work in China. Obviously, the tensions between the two entities are very complicated, ”Reed said, referring to the China-Hong Kong relations, which led to continued demonstrations and accusations of police brutality against pro-democracy protesters.
“I am not qualified to discuss that in depth. I’m here to represent the movie, ”he added. “But I will say from a very personal point of view, nobody worked harder and gave more of himself than Yifei. He trained for six months before starting production: riding a horse, martial arts, practicing creating that character. “
Cast member Yifei Liu attends the European premiere of the film “Mulan” in London, Great Britain, on March 12, 2020. REUTERS / Henry Nicholls
“He worked every day of the schedule. So I feel bad for her, that the conversation is inevitable, it inevitably turns into this and I hope that when the audience sees the movie, the conversation goes back to the amazing performance that she brought and how difficult, how much she had to do. to give life to that character, “she added.
‘Everyone can attack me now’
The remake of the classic 1998 animated film was slated to be Disney’s surefire hit, with its big theatrical release originally slated for March 27. Due to the global pandemic, its debut was postponed three times before the company finally made the decision to go directly to Disney +. Starting Friday, everyone must pay $ 30 to see the movie, but it will be included in the Disney + subscription starting December 4.
Liu plays a brave young Chinese woman posing as a man to train for the army instead of her ailing father. Last August, amid pro-democracy protests, Liu shared a post on Weibo with the words, “I support the Hong Kong police. Everyone can attack me now ”in Chinese. The original statement was made by Fu Guohao, a reporter for the official Chinese state newspaper “People’s Daily.” This was in response to Beijing’s decision to push through a national security law, which has since been implemented, in Hong Kong.
#BoycottMulan) and protesters in Thailand, Korea and Taiwan, among other nations, claim that Liu’s personal support for police officers in Hong Kong, who were accused of using excessive force to suppress protests, is a stance marked against democracy. “Data-reactid =” 35 “> Twitter users#BoycottMulan) and protesters in Thailand, Korea and Taiwan, among other nations, claim that Liu’s personal support for police officers in Hong Kong, who were accused of using excessive force to suppress protests, is a stance marked against democracy.
Liu, who was born in Wuhan, grew up in Queens, New York, before returning to China to pursue a career in acting.
‘Leaning on the movie’
“Mulan,” along with Christopher Nolan’s thriller “Tenet,” which hit select theaters Thursday, are the two films of the summer that may indicate how studios think about alternative releases going forward, even after lingering effects. of the coronavirus.
House of Gold They have placed great emphasis on encouraging audiences to flock to theaters in search of films starring and written by Asian Americans. The #GoldOpen movement helped catapult “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Farewell,” “Just Mercy,” and “Parasite,” the latter of which won Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards. Mulan’s #GoldOpen programming includes live Twitter screening parties every day this weekend with Q&A with the cast, as well as food deals at local Chinese restaurants. “Data-reactid =” 39 “> Organizations like House of Gold They have placed great emphasis on encouraging audiences to flock to theaters in search of films starring and written by Asian Americans. The #GoldOpen movement helped catapult “Crazy Rich Asians,” “The Farewell,” “Just Mercy,” and “Parasite,” the latter of which won Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards. Mulan’s #GoldOpen programming includes live Twitter screening parties every day this weekend with Q&A with the cast, as well as food deals at local Chinese restaurants.
“We have a number of organizations that are really leaning towards the film… whose leadership has seen the film and had a very positive response and they want to make sure they spread it out in the communities they tend to represent. We were very sensitive and respectful about it when making the film, whether it was the Asian diaspora community or the Chinese community, and obviously women in general have a very strong reaction to the film as does the LGBTQ + community, “Reed said. .
@melodyhahm.“data-reactid =” 41 “>Melody Hahm is a West Coast correspondent for Yahoo Finance, covering entrepreneurship, technology and culture. Follow her on twitter @melodyhahm.
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