“If Mulan doesn’t work in China, we have a problem,” said Alan Horn, the co-chairman of Walt Disney Studios, to the Hollywood Reporter. Unfortunately, the film had a lot of issues: inaccurate storytelling, cultural appropriation, and political scandals, not to mention a poor showing at the box office. What were the hurdles the movie faced and how Mulan could be a lesson for film studios hoping to tell Chinese stories for international audiences?
Featuring
Hank Liu : Film Editor
Elaine Yau : Journalist at the South China Morning Post journalist
Middle Earth is made by China Compass Productions and hosted by Aladin Farré. If you have a China-themed cultural project like shooting your next documentary or look for a specific talent, please get in touch!
Recommendations
- The Chinese animation film Ne Zha 哪吒 (2019).
- The U.S. animation film Coco (2017).
Answers to the quiz
- Mulan fought in the Northern Wei army.
- At least 12 feature films were made out of Mulan’s story.
- Wēn Míngnà 溫明娜, who voiced Mulan in 1998, is the actor doing a cameo in the 2020 remake.
With thanks to Brenden Gonsalves for graphic design & Sean Calvo for music support.