Reinventing Chinese Legend in the Age of Global Hollywood

In recent years, Disney has launched the production of a series of live-action princess films in an attempt to rejuvenate the popularity of this renowned animation franchise: one of Disney’s most ambitious remakes was the live-action version of Mulan , which was released worldwide in 2021 amidst the global pandemic. Although it was considered one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, Mulan failed to live up to the expectations of both Chinese and Western audiences. At the same time, disputes over the animated Mulan film reemerged and were soon intensified on the internet. Many have attributed the live-action film’s floundering box office performance to the inevitable cultural difference between China and the West. That said, this essay focuses on this distinct global cultural phenomenon, and analyzes controversies over the making of the two “Mulan films” from the aspects of aesthetics, spiritual core, and historical factors. As this essay observes, “Mulan” has been a cultural epitome of the transnational collaboration between China and the US across many levels since the late 20 th century, and the two “Mulan films” are indicators of how Hollywood attempts to stimulate the Chinese film market.