Disney’s live-action Mulan finally debuts in Chinese cinemas on September 11 after delays from the coronavirus pandemic

The remake of Disney’s 1998 animation stars Liu Yifei, Gong Li and Donnie Yen – all famous in China

The new film is skipping a theatrical release in most parts of the world, opting instead for streaming on Disney+

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Liu Yifei in a still from Mulan, the new Disney live-action adaptation previously set to open in March. Image: Handout

Published: 8:20pm, 2 Sep 2020Updated: 8:20pm, 2 Sep 2020

In most of the world, Disney’s Mulan is skipping cinemas and heading straight to the Disney+ streaming platform. But in China, the film is finally getting a theatrical debut on September 11 after months of delays.

The remake of Disney’s beloved 1998 animated film, featuring a Chinese warrior woman, is the first live-action epic from the House of Mouse starring a Chinese actress in the lead role. The story is based on ancient Chinese folklore, but many people in the country lamented the historical inaccuracies in the original animated film.

Disney is betting on the blockbuster to win over a new generation of Chinese fans with a cast that stars household names in the country like Liu Yifei and Gong Li. When the trailer dropped more than a year ago, it immediately became one of the top trending topics on Chinese social media. It also helps that recent Disney productions such as Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame last year and the 2016 animation Zootopia have both raked in more than a billion yuan (US$146.5 million) at the box office.

But the excitement was soon dampened by the coronavirus pandemic. Originally scheduled to come out in March, the release was delayed globally, including in China, where most cinemas closed for months on government orders. It wasn’t until July that they were allowed to reopen.

During the closure, some Chinese studios forwent theatrical releases and opted instead to stream their films online. In the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and western Europe, Mulan will start streaming on Disney+ this coming weekend.

The mainland Chinese poster for Disney's 2020 live-action epic Mulan. Image: Handout

Disney’s live-action Mulan finally debuts in Chinese cinemas on September 11 after delays from the coronavirus pandemic

The remake of Disney’s 1998 animation stars Liu Yifei, Gong Li and Donnie Yen – all famous in China The new film is skipping a theatrical release in most parts of the world, opting instead for streaming on Disney+

The remake of Disney’s 1998 animation stars Liu Yifei, Gong Li and Donnie Yen – all famous in China

The new film is skipping a theatrical release in most parts of the world, opting instead for streaming on Disney+