20 years ago, Ming-Na Wen helped bring the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan to life on the big screen through Disney's animated film
Mulan. Ming-Na Wen voiced the titular heroine who impersonates a man in order to take her father's place in the Imperial Army as part of a general conscription to counter a Hun invasion. Now Disney is looking to tell the legendary story of Mulan to a new audience of movie-goers via a live-action adaptation and Ming-Na Wen couldn't be more excited for it to hit theaters in 2020. Speaking to EW, Ming-Na Wen said:
“Disney has done such an amazing job with the other live-action [remakes], and I love them all, like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Maleficent. So I’m definitely excited that they chose Mulan of all the other great Disney movies to turn into live-action. I think they’ll do a great job with it, and it’s great to keep that legacy alive.”
As for whether or not Ming-Na Wen will have a role in the upcoming adaptation, she remained coy in her answer.
"I can't say!" she teased.
“What is it that [Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-creator] Jed Whedon always says? It’s so funny… ‘I can neither confirm nor deny.’ So, yeah!”
Throughout the interview, Ming-Na Wen praised
Mulan's representation of minority communities, specifically the film's ability to connect with Asians and those in the LBGTQ community.
“The fact that Mulan had such an impact on the LBGTQ community shows how important representation is in films and television. I should know because I grew up as a Chinese girl in America who seldom saw images of Asians in entertainment. And when there were, they were often stereotypes. So I understand how valuable it is to have representation, to be seen in a positive light.
Mulan’s story was about a loving girl whose filial duties to protect and save her father gave her the courage to take his place in the army. She had to dress up and impersonate a man in order to do that. That was part of Mulan’s folklore in China. It was never the intention to imply that Mulan was gay, but the mere image of her changing into a boy was enough of a representation to young boys and girls of LBGTQ. She became their heroine. Mulan lifted them up, inspired them, and left a lifetime impact.”
Obviously,
Mulan has had a major cultural impact over its 20 year span and now it'll reach an entirely new generation of viewers. Disney's live-action
Mulan is scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 27, 2020.
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