"Mulan" is getting a live action treatment on the big screen and it is not just for one movie. Sony is developing its own version to compete with Disney, which is also doing a live action adaptation. However, fans who have loved the animated movie released in 1998 are hoping that Hollywood studios won't be doing any whitewashing.
A petition on anti-whitewashing was lodged against movie studios planning to do a "Mulan" live action at The Petition Site. So far, it has already earned more than 90,000 supporters in the few days it was posted.
"Whitewashing, the practice of casting white Caucasian actors and actresses in roles originally meant to be characters of color, is all too common in Hollywood," the petition stated. It hopes that the studios will cast actors who are actually Asians for "Mulan." After all, the story of "Mulan" is inspired by a Chinese legend. Hua Mulan, the legendary female warrior, was believed to have fought in battle in the sixth century and has been merited for her skills and bravery.
There's a perception among studio executives that moviegoers might not see the movie if there are no Caucasian actor in it. Thus, "Mulan" fans worry about white actors being given roles meant for Asian actors. BBC reports that this problem existed with live adaptations of "Ghost in the Shell" and "The Last Airbender," which has earned a lot of ire from the original sources' fans.
Disney announced that it will be developing "Mulan" as a live action version in March 2015, per The Wrap. However, casting announcements and production have yet to start. On the other hand, Sony announced it would also doing its own version of a "Mulan" live action recently, per Variety. The report stated that Sony has plans to shoot the film in China with a "mostly Chinese cast." Both productions have not yet indicated its movie release dates at this point.
