Previous reports that talked about film director Niki Caro's comments about the upcoming live-action adaptation of "Mulan" not featuring any music from its animated predecessor caused a stir among Disney fans all around the world.
In an interview with MovieFone last month, she was quoted to have said, "no songs right now, much to the horror of my children." The thought that "Mulan" will no longer be a musical sparked various reactions from fans, which were mostly disappointments. However, there is a new update from the director and it is something that the fans will surely be delighted of.
Caro recently had an interview with The Hollywood Reporter (THR), in which she clarified that the live-action movie will definitely not go without any music. "The live-action is based on that inspirational Chinese ballad and on the animated Disney classic. We're still exploring the role that music's going to play in it, but for sure there will be music," she told THR and added that she has not even started on the film yet.
She even plans to work with Chinese history experts to make sure that "Mulan" will remain culturally authentic, and said, "In all my work that is centered in cultures not my own, I hope that comes through, because that is incredibly important to me." This means "whitewashing" could be out of the picture for this particular film, despite the ongoing trend in Hollywood.
It was Disney who approached Caro to direct "Mulan," which makes her one of the few women to "helm a film with a budget that exceeds $100 million," according to USA Today. Apart from the live-action "Mulan" movie, her other works include "North Country," "McFarland, USA," "Whale Rider," and the 2017 film "The Zookeeper's Wife."
"Mulan" is scheduled to hit theaters in the last quarter of 2018. According to reports, there is no casting yet for the remake.
