Disney Admits Mulan Controversy Pileup Has Created a “Lot of Issues for Us”

Authored by vanityfair.com and submitted by AnivaBay

In the lead up to its release, Disney’s live-action Mulan has generated a surprising amount of political controversy. First, in 2019, star Liu Yifei spoke out in support of Hong Kong police despite law enforcement’s brutal treatment of pro-democracy protesters. Her comments sparked the hashtag #BoycottMulan—a rallying cry that was renewed after some eagle-eyed viewers noticed that Disney had thanked eight government bodies in Xinjiang, a Western province, in the film’s credits. Parts of Mulan were shot in the province, a disturbing revelation as it’s the same region where China has forced an estimated 1 million to 2 million Uighur Muslims, a local, oppressed minority, into concentration camps.

Now Disney brass has admitted that the stack of controversies has caused problems for the studio, especially with the film set to hit theaters in China. Disney CFO Christine McCarthy explicitly addressed the Uighur controversy at the Bank of America Virtual 2020 Media, Communications & Entertainment Conference on Thursday, per Deadline, answering a question about whether the scandals would impact the film’s box office potential.

“I’m not a box office prognosticator, but it has generated a lot of publicity,” she said, per the outlet. “Let me just put something into context. The real facts are that Mulan was primarily shot—almost in entirety—in New Zealand. In an effort to accurately depict some of the unique landscape and geography of the country of China for this period drama, we filmed scenery in 20 different locations in China. It’s common knowledge that, in order to film in China, you have to be granted permission. That permission comes from the central government.”

McCarthy also added that it’s standard industry practice “to acknowledge in a film’s credits the national and local governments that allowed you to film there. So, in our credits, it recognized both China and locations in New Zealand. I would just leave it at that, but it has generated a lot of issues for us.”

This answer will likely do little to sate human rights activists who have criticized the film, and can’t square the studio’s choice to film in such a controversial location. China has denied negative characterization of its inhumane treatment of Uighurs, some of whom have been forcibly sterilized, starved, and beaten. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Tuesday that the camps were “vocational education and training centers…a positive attempt and active exploration of preventive counterterrorism and deradicalization.”

Mulan, directed by Niki Caro, is Disney’s live-action remake of its 1998 animated film, based on the classic Chinese ballad. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the studio released the film on its streaming service Disney+ for $30, with plans to roll out the film theatrically in countries where movie houses are open. The film has received largely middling reviews by critics, who have alternately praised it for its deep bench of stars—including icons like Gong Li and Jet Li—and panned the film for its stiff, muddied story line, bereft of the emotional beats that made the original such a hit with audiences.

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DoctorWalrusMD on September 12nd, 2020 at 14:01 UTC »

“Why is no one enjoying my live-action Mulan remake? I specifically requested it.”

soulprovider on September 12nd, 2020 at 12:28 UTC »

My friends chinese parents tried to watch rhe weekend it came out and couldnt bc disney didnt have chinese subtitles. How can something so obvious be missed 👎

Matman161 on September 12nd, 2020 at 12:05 UTC »

"Listen, we did a lot of dumb stuff. Please just stop calling us out"