Mulan Next on Disney Remake Money Trail

Nothing greenlights a movie faster in Hollywood than a concept that is a sequel to or follows the formula of a smash hit. A remake of a old favorite hit will work too. So hot on the glass heels of Cinderella’s success at the box office, Disney is on the remake trail with Mulan joining the ranks of the next generation live-action money makers.

Filming a version of Mulan, a cartoon featuring a Chinese girl, is a brilliant business move. It satisfies the insatiable young girl appetite for Disney princesses and their parents to feed it (clothes, dolls, merchandise and more), it demonstrates diversity, and it caters to the increasingly lucrative Asian market. Movies generated $10.4 billion in ticket sales last year in North America, which was a decline; in China, the number grew last year to $4.8 billion at the box office. It is not too hard to see Mulan’s Chinese “reflection” in imaginary dollar signs dancing before Disney executive eyes.

Mulan is based on the Chinese story or legend about Hua Mulan, a young woman who disguises herself as a man to join the army in place of her elderly father. According to the legend her true identity (sex) was not discovered. In the Disney version of the story, Mulan is a tomboy who does not conform to society’s lady-like expectations before she shows up at training camp pretending to be a boy, and then falls in love with her commander before saving the Emperor. The live-action movie, like the cartoon, would feature a strong female role showing that girls can do what guys do.

The recent slew of live action remakes of their classic full-length cartoons have brought in a lot of money. Cinderella remake, which opened in theaters here on March 13, has grossed more than $336 million so far in box offices worldwide. It reportedly cost $95 million to make the film, so the pauper turned princess tale will be highly profitable.

Disney took in $1 billion on Tim Burton’s version of Alice in Wonderland. The version of the Sleeping Beauty tale from the villain’s point of view, Maleficent, which starred Angelina Jolie, racked up $758 million.

Two other Disney cartoons are currently being made into live-action movies as well. Jungle Book is being directed by Jon Favreau of Iron Man and Chef fame for release next Spring. Then, Emma Watson will portray Belle and Dan Stevens from Downton Abbey will be The Beast in Beauty and the Beast, mostly likely the following year.

Disney traditionally re-released each of its classic animated films every 7 to 10 years, and has enjoyed similar marketing cycles on the home viewing side, first with VHS, then DVD, then Blu-ray. But the both the theater and home markets also demand new movies. It costs a lot less to shoot a live action film (even with CGI added) then making a new animated film. It also cuts costs not having to purchase intellectual property again since Disney presumably owns all the rights to its stories.

Since it was announced that, given the money made from the other movies, Disney was planning to remake Mulan next, speculation histthe social media trail has been casting the film. Hopefully, Disney will take the diversity road there too.

Opinion by Dyanne Weiss

Sources:
Forbes
The Daily Beast
New York Post