Release of Disney’s Live-Action “Mulan” Sparks Protests Once Again

Bella Martin, Sports Editor

Demands to boycott Disney’s live-action “Mulan” began again ahead of its Sept. 4 release date.

Controversy first sparked on social media after it was discovered that Liu Yifei, the actress portraying Mulan, reposted a pro-Hong Kong police video in 2019. The police force caused divisions after accounts of police brutality against pro-democracy protests.

Pro-democracy advocates in China voiced their anger and disapproval with Yifei’s actions right away and protested the release of the film. Now, advocates from other countries like Thailand and Taiwan started new protests boycotting the movie. 

Disney scheduled the release date for this live-action movie as Mar. 27, but pushed it back several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company announced that subscribers on their streaming platform, “Disney+,” would be able to purchase “Mulan” for $30 on Sept. 4 and in certain movie theatres around the world.  

Users on social media like “Twitter” and “Instagram” brought back the 2019 hashtag #BoycottMulan on Friday after the movie came out. By the early morning of the release date, the hashtag had reached the top trends on “Twitter.” 

Despite these calls to protest the film, “Mulan” will be released in over 15 countries, including China, Thailand and Taiwan, by Sept. 15.