Disney had a procession of leads and filmmaking talent on stage during its D23 Expo event, but one person was notable by her absence: Yifei Liu, who stars in the company's live-action version of Mulan. And that's likely for good reason, given the recent controversy swirling around comments she made about the protests in Hong Kong.
Director Niki Caro did show up in person, and brought with her some new footage from the movie, which, like the 1998 animated take, is an adventure inspired by one of China’s fiercest warriors. When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Mulan, the daughter of an honored but ailing warrior masquerades as a man, transforming into a heroic warrior to ultimately earn her the respect of a grateful nation and a proud father.
First up was Mulan being made up and forced into a traditional costume, a look she mocks with her sister Hua Xiu (Xana Tang). She then walks with her mother (Rosalind Chao) to a matchmaker. "A wife serves her husband, she must be silent, she must be invisible," the matchmaker says as a spider crawls beneath the teapot on the table. The spider makes Hua Xiu scream and sends cups and pots flying into the air, but Mulan catches them all with her hair ties... until her hair flops in front of her face, sending glass smashing to the ground.
That's followed by the emperor's men forces up to recruit one man from each family, and Mulan's father (Tzi Mai) volunteering, which of course kicks the plot into gear. A sizzle reel of Mulan in action wrapped up the screening. "I’m most excited for the audience to see this movie on a truly epic scale," Caro said of he film. "What drew me to this project was Mulan herself, her journey from village girl to soldier to warrior to hero."
Mulan charges into UK cinemas on 27 March next year.