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It seems that Disney had gotten everyone excited with the first trailer for the live-action Mulan starring Yifei Liu, but Hong Kong protesters are now calling for a boycott of the film after Liu posted a controversial statement on the Chinese Twitter—Weibo.
As per CNN, Liu had posted, “I support the Hong Kong police. You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong,” which then sparked a lot of outrage on social media.
Some have been saying that her statement means that she is supporting police brutality, and are even calling Liu out for being an American citizen.
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
— lieutenant general strike (@sdnorton) August 15, 2019
Though Twitter is banned in China, it’s said that Liu is getting a lot of support on the local platform Weibo. Other actors who have also been showing their support for the police include Jackie Chan. It was said that he was blasted on Twitter for saying (in Mandarin): “I feel the pride of being a Chinese everywhere. The five-starred red flag is respected everywhere.”
What started out as a peaceful protest against an extradition bill has morphed into frequent violent clashes between the police and protesters. We don’t know yet how all of this will end up, but it certainly won’t be looking good for Mulan—at least when it comes to the Hong Kong audience. For all we know the whole of China is still backing on Liu in her Disney starring role.
Here’s the synopsis for the original Mulan:
Fearful that her ailing father will be drafted into the Chinese military, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) takes his spot — though, as a girl living under a patriarchal regime, she is technically unqualified to serve. She cleverly impersonates a man and goes off to train with fellow recruits. Accompanied by her dragon, Mushu (Eddie Murphy), she uses her smarts to help ward off a Hun invasion, falling in love with a dashing captain along the way.
Mulan is set for a release on March 25, 2020.
