The live-action remake of the animated classic Mulan lands on Disney+ on Sept. 4. The road to release has not been easy, with the global pandemic leading to theatrical delays just as the movie was set to hit theaters worldwide. In fact, it won't hit theaters at all (or at least not initially), instead making its debut on Disney's streaming service that has more than 60 million subscribers worldwide.
This new version features Liu Yifel in the title role, supported by Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, and Jet Li. Its budget is more than twice that of the original animated version — which is notable since the movie won't see a traditional release in theaters.
The catch? Mulan is the first movie to be part of Disney+ Premier Access. That means in addition to a Disney+ subscription, you'll have to pay $29.99 to access the movie. That's the "Premier" part of Premier Access.
But once you've paid that Premier Access fee, Mulan is yours for the watching. In fact, you can watch the new Mulan as many times as you want, so long as you continue your Disney+ subscription.
Disney's original animated version of Mulan made its debut in 1998 — but it's far from the first time the story of Mulan has been told. In fact, the story itself goes back to the 6th century — and a stage play of Mulan dates back more than 100 years from today.
Disney's first version was a monumental success, earning more than $300 million at the box office. (The animated movie had a budget of $90 million.) It starred Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, James Hong, the late Pat Morita and Miguel Ferrer, June Foray, and George Takei.
Will the new Mulan live up to the story's long legacy?
We'll find out on Sept. 4.
