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Over the past few years, Disney has made a habit out of producing live-action adaptations of their classic animated blockbusters. What started with Maleficent and Cinderella has grown into a trend that's included projects like Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. The next of these movies is Niki Caro's Mulan, which is finding its home on Disney+ over the weekend. And it turns out that the great Jet Li actually saved Mulan actress Yifei Liu's life in a previous movie.
Jet Li has had a long and celebrated career in film, with Mulan marking another major blockbuster for the Chinese actor. And while the movie will be Yifei Liu's first introduction to such a wide audience, she's been working as an actress and recording artist for years. Liu previously shared the screen with Li on another project called The Forbidden Kingdom, and recently revealed that the actor once helped save her life during a stunt. As she put it,
I still remember we had to ride a horse full speed in a line and there was a truck in front of us to [film the sequence]. It was really fast. Somehow, I couldn't stop the horse. Even though he was going full speed, he was trying to stop my horse, because this was in a very narrow mountain road.
What a gentleman. Jet Li is a beloved actor and badass, but it turns out that he also supports and worries about his co-stars, especially during a stunt sequence. For Yifei Liu its an experience she'll never forget, and it's especially exciting to see the two actors collaborating again on Disney+'s Mulan.
Mulan is available exclusively on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Yifei Liu's comments to Entertainment Tonight will no doubt enhance the way Disney+ subscribers will look at Mulan once streaming it. Niki Caro's blockbuster might not have any of the original's songs, but the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. What's more, audiences can expect Liu and Jet Li to have some serious chemistry, especially after working and sharing such a dangerous situation together.
While the new Lion King movie was a nearly shot-for-shot remake of the original, it's clear that Niki Caro has a new take for Mulan. The live-action movie is completely void of the original's iconic songs, as well as characters like Mushu. The blockbuster will also heavily lead on action, with Yifei Liu shown doing sword work, riding a horse, and shooting a bow and arrow.
Of course, Mulan wasn't originally going to arrive on Disney+. The studio had every intentions of bringing the movie to theaters, but the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into that well-oiled machine. Instead it's heading to streaming, albeit for an additional fee. We'll just have to see how much money it manages to accrue for the House of Mouse.
Mulan is available on Disney+ now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
