'Mulan' TV Spot Highlights The Warrior Behind The Myth

We're not far from reaching Disney live-action remake overload. And yet, the new Mulan can't help but look promising. Maybe it's wuxia-style fight choreography. Maybe it's the fact that this is an action epic and not a musical. But it largely might be because director Niki Caro is eschewing the tired shot-for-shot trend we've seen in films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King and tackling an adaption of the ancient Chinese poem upon which Mulan is based. In China, Mulan is considered a folk figure, a near-mythic hero and not just a Disney princess. And Disney's new Mulan TV spot highlights that mythic warrior that Mulan becomes.

Nostalgic Disney fans have bemoaned the lack of Mushu and the 1998 animated movie's hit songs, but I find it so refreshing to see a live-action remake that isn't just a shot-for-shot recreation of a (better) animated movie. And the new TV spot isn't wanting for nostalgia — apart from Mulan (Liu Yifei) speaking those familiar phrases like "I will bring honor to us all," the spot actually features a new rendition of the "Short Hair" theme from the animated film's score by Jerry Goldsmith.

Caro directs a script by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin. Mulan also stars Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, and Jet Li. 

Mulan opens in theaters on March 27, 2020.

When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation...and a proud father. "Mulan" features a celebrated international cast that includes: Yifei Liu as Mulan; Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan; Yoson An as Cheng Honghui; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. The film is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek based on the narrative poem "The Ballad of Mulan."