The Mary Sue: Following the report that Disney’s live action remake of Mulan would star a white male lead in the “white savior” cinematic trope, the studio has apparently promised that the remake would actually feature an all-Asian cast. According to Vulture, whose sources were responding to the open letter shared by the Angry Asian Man blog, the studio believes that “Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese.”
23 comments:
This article caught my eye because I’ve seen so many Hollywood films be whitewashed to the point where it has become extremely problematic. For Disney to actually acknowledge this whitewashing, and to actively change it is a huge step forward. This acknowledgment is basically an admission of guilt that Disney has been whitewashing its films, I’m surprised they would even have a press release about it. It’s unfortunate to think that casting characters as their actual ethnicity is a huge step forward, but here we are. I agree with the article when it state: “We can only hope that the “interchangeable Asian” trope won’t rear its ugly head here, and that Disney might actually select a Chinese actress rather than going with an “Asian-looking one” and call it a day”. This is a danger that film will face, and I hope that the casting director will actually cast the correct ethnicity.
I hope they do not add a white dude to the new Mulan. As a white straight woman, I am so tired of white dudes. The most boring looking faces cannot pull this many different women in this many different movies. The reason I like the romance in the original Disney animated Mulan is because they are both STRONG! And they are BUDDIES! I love it when two people who are at odds but then respect each other fall in love, because it feels REAL. Some dumb white dude coming to have sex with as many """"exotic""" women as possible and then deciding to help the army because of one hot chick sucks. That's just a sucky story. I don't care about white dudes. I want to see Mulan overcome her gender role and insecurities and kick some ass, then maybe catch a cool love interest somewhere else.
Here's my thing about movies - why does every single movie that exists have a love interest? How are people like, focused on developing love when being attacked by the Mongols? It would be different if it was an established love, like Mulan had a husband so she feels like she needs to protect him because she already loves him. But when you are at risk of being discovered as a woman at any second in an all male army camp in the middle of the war, I would not be stealing glances at any dudes! Even if they were hot! I would be fighting with my stick and talking to a small dragon!!!
Guys have such an inflated idea of how focused women are on guys. A woman who joins the army secretly is NOT looking for a husband - she is looking to beat the Mongols. Maybe it's because so much media is created by men that now everyone thinks women are just wandering around, thinking about dudes and not like, their grades or chess or the oncoming war to China.
WHAT? You mean, Mulan, a story about Chinese people in China is not going to be starring exclusively white people, with maybe one Asian actor thrown into a minor role for good measure? The subheading for this article is "We'll believe it when we see it," and honestly I thought the exact same thing when I read the title for this article. The prediction that the article talks about, with Mulan's love interest being a European trader is just so fucking stupid, but the annoying part is that it could totally happen. I do not understand why Disney would do it, but I could 100% believe that they would. People like the story of Mulan. They like the animated Disney movie Mulan. If you have to have a love interest, make it a likable love interest like Shang. Do not make it some another annoying white guy who just came to China to hoe around a little bit and then had some had some huge change of heart when he first laid eyes upon Mulan. That being said, Mulan literally does not even need a love interest. Her story is extremely interesting and compelling without some man fawning over her. She saves her family's honor and also all of China! That is awesome! She has an incredible story! Leave Mulan alone!
AHHHH!!! I just posted the article on facebook that prompted this response. When I found out that there was a live action remake of Milan coming out, I was really excited. I remember being younger and the closest semblance of a female Asian heroine I saw on television was that one Disney movie, Wendy Wu. Damn, I loved that movie! But in relation to Mulan, I am really pleased and thrilled that the company genuinely listened to their fan base and changed the course of their actions. It feels good to know that one person's say and response can have a real change on what a huge conglomerate like Disney can do. I look forward to watching this when it comes out; I grew up with this movie on VHS. I also hope that they decide to cast from the Asian-American pool of actors.
I’m always so confused when stories like this are even considered to be casted by individuals who are not from the race represented by the ENTIRE cast. That, in itself, just appears to be crazy wrong, like saying a wall is blue and then saying the red paint will work. Not only is it an unjustified aesthetic choice, it’s also a blatant disregard to the culture and values backing the original story and, in this case, Disney film. I am also interested in the intention of changing the story completely and then advertising it as a live-action Mulan. If Mulan is the base point of a story, but the story is not following the actual plot of Mulan, don’t advertise it as a Mulan adaptation. As we learned in PPM, this could be considered a ‘derived piece’ but definitely not an adaptation of any kind. Figures crossed either the correlation to Mulan is cut or the company actually makes a live action Mulan, because that would be brilliant.
I am glad that the industry is addressing the mounting criticism regarding misrepresentation and under-representation of Asian actors and actresses. I hesitate to commend Disney’s statement that “Mulan is and always will be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese.” This is blatantly false in the original movie for “Mulan”, as Shang’s singing voice actor was Caucasian, the “evil villain” is voiced by a mixed Hispanic/Caucasian man. Though I loved the film and have no complaints about the cast, I do not appreciate Disney’s falsification of truth in order to seem more equal. I do, however, agree with an entirely Asian cast for the live action Mulan. There is a huge difference between live action and voice acting—you cannot simply draw an Asian figure over a live performer. However, there were African Americans and Latinos in “Hamilton” who played white roles and no one that I can think of raised a single complaint. I do understand that there is an even smaller amount of Asian representation in performance, though, so I hope that in the future more studios look to Disney’s example and begin to properly include Asian actors and actresses.
I'm honestly not sure why not casting an all Chinese cast in this remake was even considered. Casting like that would effectively ruin the story of Mulan--China is the setting, and it is a story centered around Chinese culture. To me, it makes no sense why the casting company would consider anything else. Mulan isn't a story that would lend well to a multi racial cast like Hamilton. While it is getting better as a general trend, I hope sometime soon that Hollywood and Broadway start to put thought into casting decisions such as these, and that these controversies become more few and far between. To me, it is a no brainer, but there is clearly still some work that needs to be done.
It is really sad that it was even a possibility that the cast of the live action Mulan was not going to be all Asian actors. How can you do a story about Chinese culture with white people playing some of the roles? I really hope that they get a full Chinese cast because there are a lot of differences between the different cultures in Asia. They are not just one group of people that are all interchangeable. The whole story of Mulan is set in China and is very specific to the Chinese culture, they should completely embrace that whole culture with the scenic elements, costumes, and cast. There are many Chinese actors out there that do not get a lot of parts because they are meant for white people. This is a chance for them to actually get jobs for a movie based on their culture, so it would be a huge shame if they were not given this rare opportunity. It would be very insulting to Chinese people if they casted people of different Asian backgrounds just because they look similar.
going into this article I thought I was finally going to hear something about how there will actually be diverse/ ethnic specified casting and no one was going to get in their way, but this article brought up some events that I think are truly outrageous and honestly sad. I would first like to address the fact that they were trying to write the story about a "white male lead in the “white savior” cinematic trope,". what?! Who in the world thinks this is what Mulan is about?! anyone who has ever seen the movie loves it for the exact reason that Mulan herself (being a girl) saves her country and her families honor. She is brave and smart and doesn't need a man! It is the most obvious point in the movie! I just don't get how someone could not only miss that, but write it completely opposite. Also, I can relate to the authors sarcasm when it comes to the 'difficulty' Disney has with casting the right ethnicity. Is it really that hard? Ugg. I'm sorry if this was a little too intense of a comment but it really shouldn't be that hard to get take the already awesome story of Mulan and make it a movie.
I’ve seen a lot about this issue recently and I’m really glad that the outrage has made the producers be really clear about their intent for an all Chinese cast of Mulan, but the fact that it had to come to public outrage is outrageous. If they really thought they could get away with completely and entirely changing the story of Mulan to be about some white guy trader who goes to china and falls in love, I don't understand why they even thought it would be a good idea to call the movie Mulan. Mulan is amazing because it’s not about romance, it’s about a girl who loved her father enough to take his place in the war and didn’t give up on trying to save everyone even though she had just been rejected by her friends. It’s my favorite disney movie and the thought that they thought of messing it up so spectacularly is really frustrating. I’m really glad the article also said that they are going to have an all Chinese cast because China is China and not any other Asian country and a legend that comes from China should be properly represented by its people.
I think it would be a smart move on Disney’s part to make the new movie more closely resemble the original epic of Mulan, rather than making a live action version of the cartoon. For starters, the original epic is a much better story than the animated version, although certainly less child friendly. Mostly it seems like it would be smart for Disney to pander to china a little bit. I do hope that they manage to cast an actually Chinese actress for the part of mulan, and not just any Asian. I would be curious to know what Disney is actually shooting for with this movie, weather or not they are trying to make another kids movie, or if they are making a more serious version of the original story, both certainly have their appeals. I may be alone in hoping that they just have the people from the marvel movies make the mulan movie.
This article makes me happy in that it seems that common sense has managed to show up. The fact the Disney would use an all Asian cast should not be some huge groundbreaking event it should be a matter of common sense, you are making a film adaptation of a Chinese epic you should use Chinese actors. There are movie that are disregarding this common sense like Matt Damon's new movie The Great Wall were Damon manages to be both the hero and the only white dude in the movie set well before Europe made contact with China and it instantly made me have a moment of what the fuck is wrong with you guys before I turn the trailer off. While I am happy that Disney is using common sense, I guess in the rest of the industry common sense ain't common
This is a breath of fresh air, especially after the weeks and weeks of white washing articles that have been posted on here. It good to see that a respectable company like Disney is continuing to do respectable things. Normally, an announcement like this shouldn't and wouldn't even be "news" but because of all the white wash craziness going on recently, this is seen as something big. This move by Disney isn't just big because of racial issues but because Mulan is just a great show to put on in general. It's a Disney classic and it highlights just how powerful a woman can be. For decades Asian women have been marked as weak and in need of a white, Western "savior" especially as seen through shows like Miss Saigon and Madame Butterfly. So, the fact that they took the time to crush rumors that there would be a European "savior" by pronouncing an all-Asian cast gives Disney a big thumbs up from me.
Recently Hollywood has had a lot of issues with white-washing Asian characters, so it's really refreshing to see a such a giant in the industry oppose it. More and more people have expressed their outrage with white-washing, and it seems like these companies are finally starting to listen. It's honestly such a shame that this is still an issue, but hopefully this move on Disney's part will show other production companies that white-washing is wrong. One thing that I think is especially important in this article was that companies should avoid the "interchangeable Asian" trope. Hollywood has a tendency to lump together all Asian cultures into one, and it's important to acknowledge that Mulan is a story about a Chinese woman. Casting a Chinese woman in this role would be the right thing to do, and it give Disney a great reputation. Although it's disappointing that white-washing still is present in entertainment, it's reassuring that steps are being taking in the right direction.
Awesome! I love when companies listen to the outcries of their intended communities. I know so many people who were excited to see this remake of Mulan, but were disappointed and annoyed to hear that yet again, Disney would white wash a cast. This admission of guilt and visible change gives me hope for all of my yelling endeavors for the future, because the arts s so based on people consuming it, so if we put our foot down in terms of the things e will and will not accept, we can make some changes in the ways that minorities are cast and represented. We are still far off from effecting Hollywood’s huge white washing problem, but this is a step in the right direction, especially because it is not unlike disney to just go ahead with this kind of stuff. I also think they should pay attention to the fact that the voice actors for Mulan was not chinese, not to focus on the mistakes of the past, but to say that this was a problem. Too many people don’t even realize that this was an issue for it to not be brought up.
I'm glad that they are avoiding the trope of having a white man save an Asian woman. In so many films and shows, the Asian woman is whisked away by the white man. Ms. Saigon, Madame Butterfly, the Bond films, the Asian woman is "saved" by a white man. The white male savior trope is demeaning for both Asian women and Asian men. From this we are trained to think that the Asian man is not attractive. Like, I've said before, the Asian man in America is not generally thought of as "hot." This is partially due to American movies even when set in Asia, the male lead is usually a white man. So I'm glad that people are finally standing up and noticing that yes, there's a huge problem with the lack of representation of Asian Americans in movies. All the backlash at this, and all the comments even here are proof of that.
This article also seems to be poorly informed, and sort of just writing. As we have seen in the previous articles, and in the news, Disney is striving for Mulan to be played by a Chinese actress. With the stakes riding on this, and all the backlash recent movies with whitewashing have received, it won't risk casting an Asian looking white person. With Moana, they cast a Hawaiian teen as the Polynesian princess for authenticity, so for a live action film, I'm sure its even more important to them.
The fact that is even has to be a headline is kind of infuriating. But I guess we should be glad that they’ve scrapped the awful “white savior” male love interest angle. In regards to which, I am incredibly confused by their comment that it was a jumping off point to create a “a more nuanced and elaborate adaptation, combining the legendary Chinese ballad and the 1998 animated film.” Where in either of those stories is there a random white dude coming in to sweep Mulan off her feet? As far as I know in both the previous versions the main character is a Chinese, not just Asian mind you, woman named Hua Mulan. When you can’t make your version better than a 1998 animated movie that has some problematic portrayals of race and Asian culture, what are you doing? I was hoping that this adaption would be the story of a strong woman who saves her country, that they would downplay the love interest angle, rather than make him the main character, and give young girls in this country a strong hero they can look up to because that need that now more than ever. And yes, given that this is a Chinese legend it seems a no brainer to me that the cast should actually be Chinese.
Okay, WHO is this trader? After all the protest from fans asking for at least for an all-asian/asian Americans cast, there's still gonna be an European trader who "helps" Chinese Imperial Army? And "It is only after falling for Mulan that this trader DECIDES to help"??? I mean, what? Why does there have to be a white guy?
It has been so weird from the beginning of this film production - it's like the Disney is deliberately leaking some casting or plot info to the press and see how fans react. First there's the rumor about casting white actress as Mulan, which evoked rage among the fans demanding a Chinese actress; and then the company feel like, oh no, people are angry, let's cast Chinese people for a movie that's about Chinese people in China. Let's do that. And the fans become rightfully cheering. And now again some bits and fragments from some sources about having a white dude falling in love with Mulan and deciding to save China? It's like Disney is in the little room contriving the production and the entire fan group are watching closely from outside, and every once a while the company will throw something out in the window and the people outside will look at it and go "HELL NO" and Disney will make some changes to sooth the fans. I still cant wrap my head around the fact that it needs so much emphasis from the world that one should respect the original story and culture.
I reeeaaally hope that there will not be an article in the next few years focusing on the actual and not speculated whitewashing of this movie. Mulan is so entrenched in Chinese culture that it would compromise the integrity of the story to have it revolve around white characters. And even though Disney said that the script with the white trader was just a point to jump off of, this is still very worrying. Having the basis of this movie play to classic, terrible cinema tropes does not bode especially well for the final project. Also, I have no idea where this idea came from. There is no white trader in the original Chinese tale of Mulan or the 1998 animated film. Let's hope that Disney can take a hint from the outrage that this leak has caused, and make sure that this film is true to the story they really want to tell.
The animated disney movie of Mulan is so iconic and well made in the sense that it didn't involve a single white character, the story was about Mulan and how she saved China, and she didn't need a man to kiss her to bring her back to life. Given the amount of movies that are whitewashed today, I'm actually very impressed with the animated movie made back in 1998 - it's better and more accurate than any of the movies big entertainment industries have been putting out lately. I honestly don't have high expectations for this live action movie partly because of how good the animated movie is. Hopefully Disney doesn't stick a white male actor in there for literally no reason, especially because Disney plays such a huge role not only in the entertainment industry, but also every single kid watches Disney. I hope Disney doesn't send the wrong message because by having a white male savior of any sort in the film will only reinforce the subordinate asian stereotype and teach them the wrong message. I think disney did a good job with finding a half-Japanese and half-Caucasian voice actor for the half-Japanese and half-Caucasian main character, Hiro, for Big Hero 6. Hopefully this movie doesn't let us down.
I have been following this story and what Disney intentions for the live action Mulan are. When I read about the "white male trader" and his role in the movie, I was very upset. I couldn't believe that the cartoon version where Mulan is her own hero and DOESN'T NEED NO MAN, did not influence this new version. I am relieved to now read that the "white savior" will no longer be included in the movie. Mulan holds so much opportunity for Chinese culture to thrive in it. I am very glad that Disney is also looking for a Chinese actress to play the lead heroin because it would be down right STUPID to cast an "asian-looking" actress and lose that sense of connection to culture. I hope this live action version of Mulan does not fall into an americanized pit and stays true to Chinese influence. Hopefully Disney got the message and thinks before any decisions are made, not only for this film, but for future films with specific culture.
There comes a point in time, where you’ve just got to stop. Why people think you need to throw in a white actor in an Asian film, or even have a white actor become a centralized point in an Asian film. They did the same thing recently with Matt Damon in a movie called The Great Wall, and where does it take place? Hmm, I don’t know, maybe perhaps Ancient China!? It must be that there only reason for doing something like this is because you need to bring on an A-list actor to be able to sell tickets. You are already going to sell tickets with a movie called Mulan, being that it’s a Disney great, and everyone loved the animated movie for what it is. There isn’t a need to change the story in any regard. Perhaps a lack of Asian leads in movies, but not just Asian though, minority representation across the board would allow for a more diverse casting film choice. First of all you keep seeing the same actors in movies, no wonder the acting pool is a tough one to get into unless the person dies, which we hope that doesn’t happen. Listen to the people and what they want, otherwise we do some of these casting directors still have a job.
Mulan is by far one of my favorite Disney movies. It'll be very interesting to see how Disney transports the story into a live-action movie. I am extatic to here that they have chosen to search for an all Asian cast for this movie. Not only am I happy that this means more diversity in the film industry, but it also gives more hope that Disney will stay true to the integrity of the original animated movie. Mulan's story it's a special one that I hope Disney does not ruin.
This announcement of an full Asian cast also obviously means more diversity in Disney films which is so important for young generations to see. On top of that, I hope Disney challenges themselves to find new undiscovered talent for their leads rather than using already well known actors and actresses. The film has the opportunity to bring forth new diverse talent to the public eye, and may spark amazing careers for some young Asian performers who have felt overlooked in this industry.
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