A new TV spot for Disney’s upcoming Mulan remake arrived during the Super Bowl tonight and continues to show off the action-oriented focus that this new take on the classic story is sticking with.
Unlike some of the studio’s previous remakes, like the soulless reiterations of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, or failed attempts at expansion like Aladdin, this particular project is more about placing a spotlight on the story of the warrior rather than just going down the same path we already went down in the animated original.
That being said, the basic premise will be familiar to fans. Set in a time of war when the Emperor of China orders that one man from every household has to join the army, a young woman disguises herself and joins in place of her aging father. But that’s where the similarities end more or less, as this new promo teases a much different version of the story. One that unfortunately won’t feature the fast-talking, wisecracking guardian dragon Mushu, and will also be leaving out all those enjoyable musical numbers from the 1998 version.
All things considered, though different from what we may be used to, Mulan certainly looks promising. Though it’s important to remember that the movie’s courted controversy lately, with its star accused of supporting police brutality in Hong Kong back in 2019, which led to the #BoycottMulan campaign going viral.
Will this have any effect on its box office numbers? Perhaps, but with a budget of $300 million, Mulan is going to have to make a lot of money to turn in a profit for Disney. If there’s one thing that the Mouse House is mighty good at though, it’s printing money.