Liu Yifei (left) with director Nikki Caro.
In addition to Liu Yifei, Zhen Zidan, Gong Li, Jet Li and others also participated in the performance of the film.
Disney's annual blockbuster "Mulan" including North America and other overseas markets will be released on March 27, because the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has not completely subsided, including "Mulan", the mainland schedule of many new films, including "Mulan", has not yet been finalized. However, the filmmakers have carried out large-scale publicity overseas.
The veteran British film magazine "Empire" has done a special report based on interviews with the main creators of "Mulan" such as director Nikki Kahlo and producer Jason Reed, plus the content of Nikki Kahlo's interviews with many video media, which can give a lot of people who care about this blockbuster based on Chinese story themes to know more. For example, how much does this live-action version of "Mulan" have to do with the 1998 Disney version of the cartoon "Mulan"? How to ensure that the Chinese elements in the film will not "deviate" (too much)? How did Liu Yifei get the role of Mulan? Nikki Caro and other creators have revealed one by one.
Director
Nikki Caro grabbed her job by "fighting"
As soon as the news that Disney was going to shoot a live-action version of "Mulan" came out, there were many directors who wanted to grab this project. This is not only because the 1998 animated version of "Mulan" became a global hit, so that the story of this ancient Chinese woman's surrogate father in the army spread around the world. Moreover, because "Mulan" itself conveys the attitude of "who says that women are inferior to men", which also makes Disney animation that has always loved to produce "princesses waiting for princes to save" a new look.
"I know a lot of directors want to make Mulan, and I know I'm not the only disney candidate, but I'm really interested, so I can only go all out." Nikki said.
This live-action version of the movie, Disney first wanted to find a Chinese director to direct, but has not found the right one, has produced "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Hero", "Color Ring" and other business cards of Hong Kong producer Jiang Zhiqiang then suggested that Disney's vision is a little more relaxed, choose the right director is the most important. So Nikki had a chance.
The New Zealand female director rose to fame in 2002 with Whale Rider. The film about a New Zealand Maori girl who wants to prove to her father that tribal chiefs don't necessarily have to be inherited by boys, made 13-year-old actress Kesha Castel Hughes nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Nikki believes that the spirit conveyed by the movie "Whale Rider" is very similar to that of "Mulan". Her conception of "Mulan" was evaluated by the producers as "with an epic tone", and she eventually got the job of directing "Mulan".
Cast
Interviewed thousands of people to find Liu Yifei
Nikki is a very "warrior" style director, generally before the filming, the actors will be trained according to the role, but as a director, Nikki will also receive training together, such as the actor to learn Maori when filming "Whale Rider", Nikki also learned Maori throughout the whole process. In the filming of "Mulan", the actors received high-intensity physical training, and Nikki was also trained together.
This "warrior" style director, looking for a suitable candidate to play Mulan, spent a year, she met thousands of actresses who came to the interview, and finally selected Liu Yifei.
"We asked her from Beijing to come to Los Angeles to audition, her flight took off at night, she didn't sleep all night, she flew for 14 hours," Nikki said. She thought she would be able to sleep in the morning, but the producer wanted to meet her, so she didn't rest at all. ”
Liu Yifei's audition process impressed Nikki, "She came to see me, and what awaited her was a two-hour intense audition. Because I have to confirm if she is mulan's best candidate. She auditioned for five scenes, one of which featured a five-page dialogue. English is not yet her native language. Then I asked her to go to the fitness coach, and she went through a brutal one-and-a-half-hour fitness test, with weights, push-ups, pull-ups, and everything else. She excelled in the dramatic part of the audition, and physically, she never stopped and never made a mistake. The reason why I think she is the most suitable person is not only because she is a talented actor, a smart, strong and gentle person, but more importantly, she has never shouted tired. I knew then that she was a warrior, a real warrior, and on set, she was my real partner on the battlefield of the movie. ”
In the subsequent shooting, Liu Yifei's performance also proved that the director did not choose the wrong person, "On the set, Yifei raised the shooting standard very high, she was much stronger than any boy around her, and everyone was frightened by the power she had." ”
Liu Yifei said: "The job of an actor not only helps me find myself, but also helps me explore my own possibilities, and has an open attitude towards many things, which can help me interpret the role." ”
Content
Guarantee "Taste of China" and try not to "go astray"
For this Hollywood movie based on a Chinese story, mainland audiences are obviously demanding to see a movie with a complete "Chinese taste", but the filmmakers have really made a lot of efforts to try not to deviate, so they even gave up the Favorite Character of Western audiences, Mushu Dragon, and the style of singing and dancing anytime and anywhere in the animated version of "Mulan".
Producer Jason Reed said the script was formed in 2015 and was subsequently handed over to the editors of Rise of the Apes and Jurassic World. "Although we have filmed an animated version of "Mulan", we still have to study this story from the most original historical materials this time. Our team watched at least 5 versions of Mulan's Ci and studied mulan's era as much as possible. ”
With the help of Jiang Zhiqiang, Nikki and Jason and other creators have visited China many times, Jason said: "We have cooperated with many Chinese partners and institutions, and also consulted cultural consultants and researchers, in order to respect and try our best to truly express Chinese culture." ”
The requirement of "realism" directly "kicks" the very popular character Kisuryu in the animated version out of the live-action movie, because there can be no dragons, let alone dragons like Kisu Dragon. The style of song and dance films is also not retained, and it is completely filmed as a drama.
In addition, the emperor in the animated version is an old man's image, "We know that this is inaccurate and disrespectful, so the live-action version is completely different, and we found Jet Li to play the emperor." Everyone knows that Jet Li is a kung fu master, so he can't play a weak old man emperor. Jason said.
It is reported that the film is also filmed in eighteen places in China, including very old villages, countryside, and gobi deserts. In addition, some of them were filmed in New Zealand. "Our goal is to create an epic Mulan." Jason said. (Reporter Ma Zewang)