Credit: DisneyAmid ongoing protests in Hong Kong, the lead actress in Disney’s upcoming remake of “Mulan” Crystal Liu took to social media to share her support for the Hong Kong police force. As a result, Hong Kong protestors and others worldwide have decided to boycott the new film.
Disney’s live-action remakes have come under fire recently in the media. While they are proving to be successful at the box office, many fans don’t see the appeal of watching a classic animated story reimagined in live-action. And ever since the first trailer dropped for 2020’s “Mulan,” the film has been getting a lot of buzz, and it’s not all positive.
The first conversations surrounding “Mulan” were criticisms of the trailer, as many believed that it indicated that Disney isn’t sticking to the traditional Chinese legend of Mulan. But now, Liu has brought Disney into the heated discussion of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy and anti-police brutality protests, and not in a positive way.
Liu, a Chinese-American actress herself, was met with controversy almost immediately after posting to her over 65 million followers on the social media platform Weibo, where she shared an image that read, “I support Hong Kong’s police, you can beat me up now. What a shame for Hong Kong.” She added the hashtag #IAlsoSupportTheHongKongPolice and a heart. And since then, #BoycottMulan has trended on Twitter.
Disney’s Mulan actress, Liu Yifei, supports police brutality and oppression in Hong Kong.
Liu is a naturalized American citizen. it must be nice. meanwhile she pisses on people fighting for democracy.
retweet please. HK doesn’t get enough support. #BoycottMulan @Disney pic.twitter.com/FpECIdutH2
— sean norton ? (@sdnorton) August 15, 2019
Now, people in support of the Hong Kong protesters are calling out Liu, condemning her for “supporting police brutality” and commenting on her social media that she “violates the character of Mulan,” who is known for standing up for what is right and fighting for her country. International human rights organizations have accused Hong Kong police of excessively using force in confrontations with protesters and the public. Given this and Liu’s apparent support of Hong Kong police, people are commenting on not only Liu’s social media accounts but also the official accounts for the “Mulan” film to voice their opinions on Liu’s views.
She lives in America, her family is in America, she's a citizen who enjoys all the protection and privileges of any American. That includes freedom of speech. If she wanted to, she could be a powerful voice for justice but instead, she supports this brutality #boycottMulan
— Ally (@Ally50225919) August 16, 2019
Mulan is fighting for the defenseless peeps and Liu Yifei is supporting hongkong brutality. #BoycottMulan pic.twitter.com/nFOWBp788e
— G A G O (@iellyssa) August 16, 2019
I was happy when @DisneyStudios announce that they are making a new Mulan movie. She was my childhood hero. It is disappointed to see the actress who plays her does not empathise with the protesters in HK. They are fighting for their homeland like Mulan. #BoycottMulan https://t.co/stZma0JBdC
— Cheuk Ting Ho (@cheukting_ho) August 15, 2019
Some are even calling out Disney for supporting someone (Liu) who “condones violence” and asking for a recast, saying that the “Disney image will be tarnished” with Liu as the lead actress in an upcoming Disney movie.
So far, it isn’t clear what will come from the #BoycottMulan trend, as neither Liu nor Disney have issued statements on the matter so far. We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.
What do you think of the #BoycottMulan trend? Let us know in the comments!
Source: THR