No songs and less fun

To show the viewer a more serious and truthful story, the film`s director Niki Caro decided that, compared to the cartoon, the film`s characters won`t sing. According to her, the filmmakers don`t want to give any subtexts with the help of songs or hide the true meaning of things behind jokes and comic characters.

By the way, the main film`s song was performed by American singer Christina Aguilera.

The hawk will turn into a full-fledged villain

In the 1998 cartoon Mulan, the main heroine fought against the evil Shan Yu and his army. According to the plot, Shan Yu had a helper - a hawk. In the new film, the bird was turned into a full-fledged character: now it`s the evil and powerful witch Xian Lang, who can turn into a hawk at any moment. There will also be the main villain - the nomad Bori Khan, who avenges the Chinese people for his father`s death.

The dragon Mushu will become a phoenix

Mulan`s friend and the cute dragon Mushu won`t be in the film due to cultural considerations. In the original Chinese story, written in the 5th century, this character wasn`t there either; Disney created him for their cartoon. Stanley Rosen, a professor at the University of Southern California, claims that, according to Chinese viewers, this character makes their cultural heritage banal. `Mushu was very popular in the US, but the Chinese hated him,` he says. `This miniature dragon simply simplifies their culture.` In Mushu`s place, the film will feature a phoenix, which is a sign of peace and prosperity in Chinese culture.

Mulan will keep her long hair

One of the most dramatic and unforgettable moments from the cartoon, when Mulan cuts her hair with her father`s sword, won`t be in the film. In the remake, the heroine will hide her chic black curls under a helmet or tie them tightly. As explained by the film`s producer Jason Reed, the creators are respecting the original story in this way: `In Disney`s cartoon, the famous scene where Mulan cuts her hair is actually an addition. It`s actually an anachronism. Chinese soldiers, male soldiers, wore long hair in the 5th century. So a haircut could make her look more like a woman than she actually is. Since we`re making a live-action version and focusing on the global market, we thought we should ensure that level of cultural accuracy.`

No love line in the plot

The romantic story about Mulan and Captain Li Shang was also removed. According to Jason Reed, this decision was made in connection with the scandals surrounding the #MeToo movement. The presence of a dominant commander, who is also the heroine`s lover, in the film is simply inappropriate.

In the new Disney film, the screenwriters split Li Shang`s character into two - it`s Commander Tung, who trains Mulan, and Honghui, her fellow fighter.

The film was shot in New Zealand

Despite the fact that the plot is based on China`s heroic history, most of the scenes were filmed in New Zealand. Only a couple of locations were filmed in China. Some attribute this to the fact that the film`s director Niki Caro has New Zealand roots.

Age restrictions appeared

According to the American Motion Picture Association`s rating system, the film Mulan was given an age restriction up to 13 years. The reason is the amount of violence in the battle scenes. This is the first Disney remake rated this way, which could affect overall box office revenues.

Bonus: why is the upcoming film Mulan called an ode to feminism?

During the fiercest scandals about harassment and the strengthening of the feminist movement, out of all the stories about princesses, Disney Studios chose Mulan for film adaptation. This Chinese heroine differs from others:

• Mulan fights against gender inequality and the spread of traditional role models, for example, `only a man can be a warrior`;

• she is against patriarchy: having listed the qualities that an ideal wife should have, the girl rejects them to go her own way rather than follow society`s imposed stereotypes;

• she changes not to get a prince, but to protect her family;

• even in the cartoon, the girl didn`t sing songs about love for the opposite sex;

• she doesn`t marry a prince;

• Mulan is the personification that a woman can achieve anything if she wants;

• in the story, the girl becomes much stronger than the male soldiers in her Chinese army, and it is she - the strong and independent Mulan - who defeats the main enemy.

Imagine that the Disney film company decided to remake your favorite cartoon and invited you to play any role of your choice in it. Which character would you choose and why?