Almost exactly two months before its release, Disney shares new character posters for its upcoming live-action Mulan remake. The original Mulan, which came out in 1998, is considered a Disney classic. Starring Ming-Na Wen as Mulan, it tells the story of a young woman who takes her ailing father’s place in a war, saving her city in the process. It’s also known for several of its songs, including “Reflection” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” The new Mulan, while not a musical, will focus on the essential plot of the original film.

Another big change in the new live-action version of Mulan is the absence of Mushu, the talking dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy in the first film. Director Niki Caro recently discussed why Mulan’s trusty sidekick won’t be present in her movie, explaining, “I think we can all appreciate that Mushu is irreplaceable.” In the 1998 Mulan, Mushu is indeed irreplaceable, as he supports Mulan and also helps her defeat Shan Yu. However, Caro shared that some sort of creature would still be present, saying, “In this movie, there is a creature representative–a spiritual representation of the ancestors, and most particularly of Mulan’s relationship with her father.”

The live-action Mulan will introduce a number of new characters, while also saying goodbye to some old ones, such as Mushu. Mulan (Liu Yifei) will obviously be in the film, as will her parents, Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma) and Hua Li (Rosalind Chao). Donnie Yen will play a new character, Commander Tung, who serves as a mentor to Mulan. Xian Lang, portayed by Gong Li, is new as well and described as a powerful witch. Check out the new posters featuring the characters of Mulan, Commander Tung, Xian Lang, and others below:

The new Mulan is part of a successful push by Disney in the last several years to remake animated classics, especially those from its animation heyday in the 1990s. Several films, such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin have already been released, with more live-action updates currently in the works at Disney. The Little Mermaid is on its way to the screen, with Halle Bailey cast as Ariel over the summer. Unlike the live-action Mulan, that film will remain a musical, with Lin-Manuel Miranda teaming up with original The Little Mermaid composer Alan Menken.

While the new Mulan film will have clear differences from the 1998 version, the new character posters do show a commitment to the spirit of the original. “Reflection” is not only a big song in the movie but also a concept important to its theme. The posters also show that, unsurprisingly, Mulan is still the center of the story this time around, as she should be. Each character sees her reflection on their weapon, rather than their own. Though some Mulan fans may still be concerned about changes made for the live-action update, hopefully they’ll end up enjoying the film, anyway.

More: Every Disney Movie Coming In 2020

Source: Disney

  • Mulan Release Date: 2020-09-04