The new year has barely begun, but we already know that Disney's live-action remake of Mulan is probably going to be one of the biggest movies of 2020.
On Monday morning, director Niki Caro screened three exclusive clips before sitting down for a Q&A. BuzzFeed News was in attendance — so without further ado, here’s all the tea we learned…
No, there won't be any songs in the movie, BUT the music from the animated classic will be honoured in a "very significant" way.
The live-action remake is going in a ~realistic~ direction and, as Niki put it: "We don't tend to break into song when we go to war."
"Not saying anything against the animation — because the songs are brilliant and if I could squeeze them in there, I would have," she continued. "But we do honour the music from the animation in a very significant way. That's all I'll say."
It was also pointed out in the Q&A that Liu Yifei, who plays Mulan, is a fantastic singer — is it possible we'll get a "Reflection" moment during the credits?
Speaking of the original Mulan, the remake will pay homage in some ways while also honouring the historic ballad that the story is based on.
"I would try at all times to honour the original ballad and the classic animation," Niki said of directing the movie. "Fans of the animated classic will find some really iconic moments in this."
Yep, that includes the matchmaker scene.
But it's bad news for fans of Mushu — Mulan's sidekick won't be making an appearance in 2020.
When asked if there would be something that replaces Mushu, Niki said: "Not really. I think we can all appreciate that Mushu is irreplaceable, and the animated classic stands on its own in that regard."
And, uh, apparently we might develop a crush on the villain this time around?
Speaking about bad guy Bori Khan, Niki enthusiastically said: "You just wait. He is shredded."
However, Jason Scott Lee, who plays Bori Khan, nearly didn't make the cut because he didn't fit the vision that Niki had in mind when it came to the villain.
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"He was a little round, shall I say, and the villain in my head did not look like that," she said. "We had a very brilliant trainer with us the entire time, and he shredded Jason in two months with just organic food and exercise."
When it was revealed that Niki would be helming the Mulan remake, there was some initial criticism over Disney hiring a white director to tell a Chinese story.
White feminism is ppl thinking Disney's live action Mulan being directed by a white woman is progress bc woman director
Speaking on how she approaches filmmaking, Niki briefly touched on the responsibility of directing a movie about a culture she is not a part of.
"I have made a lot of movies outside of my culture, and I have a way of doing it where I take the responsibility of the cultural authenticity very, very seriously. And it’s always a really big journey," she said.
