The release of Disney's live-action adaptation of its 1998 animated film has been plagued by controversy that began in 2019.

Indie Wire
Date: Sep 07,2020
By: Tambay Obenson

Disney’s “Mulan” is one of the first major releases since the coronavirus pandemic shut down movie theaters around the world. Originally scheduled for wide theatrical release in March 2020, it was delayed multiple times due to the pandemic, and the studio ultimately premiered the film on September 4 on Disney+ for a premium fee in countries where the service had launched, and is starting to hit theaters abroad, although certainly not without controversy.

Despite anticipation for the live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1998 animated film of the same name, “Mulan” has been plagued by calls to boycott the film, which began in August 2019, when star Liu Yifei appeared to show support for Hong Kong’s police, who have been accused of violence towards pro-democracy protesters. Yifei reshared an image posted by Chinese newspaper People’s Daily, which included a quote from Chinese reporter Fu Guohao who worked for the Global Times: “I support Hong Kong police. You can beat me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.”

This sparked international controversy, with the actress being accused of supporting police brutality, and the hashtag, #BoycottMulan, started trending. Nearly a year later and with the film now released, pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong are reigniting calls to boycott the film, this time joined by Thai and Taiwanese activists.

“This film is released today. But because Disney kowtows to Beijing, and because Liu Yifei openly and proudly endorses police brutality in Hong Kong, I urge everyone who believes in human rights to #BoycottMulan,” prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong tweeted on Friday.
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