Mulan was a huge and unexpected hit upon its release in 1998. In fact, before the film's release, Disney was so disappointed by the box-office performance for its recent animated releases, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules, that it restricted its promotional budget for Mulan. Upon its release, it performed very well with audiences and critics alike. Because of its enduring popularity, Disney was soon in talks about producing a live-action remake, starting talks in the early 2000s.
In the initial discussions about the remake, Zhang Ziyi was slated to star as Mulan and Chuck Russell was to direct, but this iteration was canceled in 2010. Development began again in 2015, and in 2017, Niki Caro, the director of Whale Rider, was attached to direct. Liu Yifei will play Mulan, and a martial arts star Jet Li will play the Chinese emperor.
While the original Mulan failed to succeed in China the first time around, producers are hoping that it succeeds in this iteration. The fact that the remake follows the original legend on which the film is based more closely is part of what many believe brings it its appeal, while others lament the fact that the live-action remake will not feature the songs of the original and the playful characters such as Mushu and Cri-Kee.
The projected success of Mulan in China is getting compromised by the 2020 outbreak of the coronavirus in China. In an article in CNN Business, Frank Pallotta writes, "The film cost $200 million to make and was expected to make a big splash in China. But the country, which is also the world's second-biggest movie market behind the United States, has been thrown into turmoil by the public health crisis."
