Things have not been going well for the newest live action Disney remake this year. With huge backlash from fans and critics, the numerous controversies, and the weak financial performance on Disney +, Mulan has been struggling big time as one of Disney’s major releases of 2020. Most were hoping that the film would at least perform better in the country it is representing, China, however that does not seem to be the case now as the film opened in China with disappointing box office numbers this past weekend.
The film came in 2nd at the box office, totaling $23 million dollars, which is definitely weak for a major film like this. Granted, the ongoing pandemic that is still affecting the world does not help its box office numbers. However, considering that more theaters are opened in that country and this is a film that was meant to appeal to Chinese audiences, this comes as even more of a disappointment than usual. Disney co-chairman Alan Horn, even mentioned last year that “If ‘Mulan’ doesn’t work in China, we have a problem,” which now that the film has been release, this is definitely a huge blow to the studio.
Disney expected a massive hit on their hand with Mulan in both the U.S. and China, but with so much going against it pandemic or otherwise, it seems Mulan 2020 is starting to be a huge strain in Disney’s success. Between many critics and audiences being critical of the portrayal of Chinese culture in the film, the controversy around leading actress YiFei Liu’s statement on the Hong Kong protest, and many also critical of Disney’s release strategy of paying $30 to watch it on streaming, this film does not seem to have the honor the original movie had. We will see in the coming weeks if any progress is made when it comes to this film’s financial performance, but with the way things have been going for the film so far, it may not be likely that this film will have staying power in both the U.S. and China.
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