Mulan Takes A U-Turn

In 2016 a petition reached over 112,000 signatures in support for an all-Asian cast in the live-action remake of Mulan. There were big efforts in not whitewashing the movie, as had been done in other Disney movies such as Johnny Depp in ‘The Lone Ranger’. 

The remake was set to do very well within pop culture due to the inclusiveness of Asian culture. However, that all changed during the Hong Kong protests in 2019. Lead actress, Liu Yifei, spoke about the protests on Weibo (a Chinese social media platform), saying, "I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.”

_{Credit: @badiucao}

Now that the movie has officially been released on Disney+, people from all over the world have fled to social media sharing their urgency to Boycott the movie. An ongoing petition has 20,000 signatures asking Disney to publicly condemn Liu Yifei for police brutality. 

For a movie that carried so much support and hope, it has quickly turned into a political war. Pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are using the hashtag #boycottmulan to support their message, as well as many on Twitter. 

A year on from Liu Yifei’s comment, Disney is yet to speak out. Whether or not they will, fans are still disappointed.

_{Photo: Courtesy of Disney}

Next Up, Naomi Osaka Pledges To Raise Awareness Of Racial Injustice, By Wearing Names Of Police Brutality Victims On Court