Millennium director

"In fact, the best way is to let Disney change the script and let them write the live-action script in the direction of the animated version."

"After all, the animated version has proved its excellence. It won a global box office of 300 million US dollars in 1998. This is not easy."

"But it should be difficult for Disney to accept this suggestion."

Wu Yuan said with some emotion: "Unless I serve as the director of this movie and ask Disney for the script control, but this is unrealistic."

He had thought about changing the situation of the movie "Mulan" a long time ago. At the beginning, his idea was very simple, he could shoot it himself.

But as he got in touch with Hollywood, Wu Yuan knew that this idea was unrealistic.

A company as big as Disney is unlikely to allow the director to dictate his princess movie. When Wu Yuan was shooting "Pirates of the Caribbean", he did not have much room for "suggestions" on the main story of the trilogy.

He can make some small suggestions, change some small plots, and add some interesting dialogues or plots, but the main line is not something he can change. He must shoot according to the script given by the screenwriter.

To be precise, the screenwriters can't write whatever they want. In fact, the scripts written by the screenwriters also need to pass Disney's review. The screenwriters can only be regarded as the second party. They have to revise according to Disney's requirements before the script is finally born.

It's hard to turn a big ship around.

Even if Wu Yuan is an internationally famous director, he can take his own script to Disney to ask for money, people and investment, but he will never rely on his status as a big director to dictate Disney's IP, especially princess movies.

To a certain extent, princess movies are the lifeblood of Disney, and it is impossible to let outsiders make the decision.

Of course, Wu Yuan can also make a "Mulan" by himself. After all, Mulan is a legendary figure in Chinese history. The copyright of this character's story is not in Disney, and anyone can make it.

Several "Mulan" movies have been made in China, and one of them was starred by Huang Xiaoming and Zhao Junqi.

But without Disney's global market, global distribution channels, and Disney's "princess movie" reputation, what is the point of Wu Yuan making a "Mulan"?

If it is for the domestic market, Liu Yifei has no need to make a "Mulan". There are plenty of scripts for her to choose from. Why should she hold on to "Mulan"?

More importantly, even if Disney agreed to Wu Yuan's request and let him make the script of the "Mulan" princess movie according to his own ideas, what can happen?

Make a version of "Mulan" that conforms to the Chinese aesthetics and the historical and cultural background of China?

No problem!

But can foreign movie fans understand it?

Foreigners who don't understand Chinese culture at all, facing a "Mulan" full of Chinese aesthetics and in line with Chinese thinking, can they buy tickets?

Facts have proved countless times that, except for science fiction and love, two themes that ignore cultural background, the difference in film aesthetics between Chinese and Europeans is very large.

"Charlotte's Troubles", "Hello, Li Huanying", "Man Jianghong", "Flying Life" and even "The Wandering Earth" are big sellers in China, but they will not be well received in Europe and the United States.

Movies that have exploded at the North American box office, such as "Beauty and the Beast", "Crazy Rich Asians", "Dune", "Barbie", "Creed: Second Coming", and "Thunderbolt", are also not well received in China and have collapsed in reputation.

In fact, there are always only a few Hollywood commercial films that can dominate the Asian and European markets. In the end, there are only a few series, such as "Marvel", "Transformers", and "Fast and Furious".

In the hearts of Chinese audiences, "Mulan", which has ugly makeup and a hodgepodge of historical backgrounds, is full of complaints. In the eyes of European and American audiences, these complaints are very interesting.

Only Chinese people would consider that buildings like Yongding Tulou could not appear in the era when Mulan lived, and she was not a southerner.

When Europeans and Americans see the Yongding Tulou in the movie, they will only think it is so cool and Chinese. They have never seen such a novel building before, and it is very interesting.

These issues will not be the focus of foreign audiences.

This is just like when Chinese people watch "King Arthur". No Chinese people will consider whether the characters' dress, background settings, and buildings in the movies and TV series of "King Arthur" are in line with real history. Everyone will only be curious about King Arthur's legendary experience, the sword in the lake and the sword in the stone, and sigh at the magic of Merlin.

Wu Yuan saw this problem of cultural differences clearly when Cheng Long's "The Karate Kid" was not well received in China, but the box office in Europe and the United States exceeded 350 million US dollars.

So his own movies insist on taking different routes. Domestic Chinese films focus on the Asian market, and Hollywood foreign films focus on the European and American markets. He never expected his Chinese films to be popular in Europe and the United States, and the Hollywood films he made were almost all science fiction films.

Because science fiction films are the least culturally barrier-free, most of them tell space operas, and do not involve any national culture or ideology, which makes it easier for both Eastern and Western movie fans to favor them.

However, "Mulan" is not a science fiction film, and its positioning is not even a historical film. It is just a Disney princess film, and its main target markets are the European and American markets, followed by the Asian market.

"If it is for the purpose of developing overseas markets, mainly for the influence in Europe and America, this movie can be accepted." Wu Yuan finally calmly suggested to Liu Yifei: "However, some plots in the movie that are obviously different from the background at that time can still be changed."

"If you want to accept this movie, you must ask Disney that the crew needs to hire a professional Chinese history professor to select scenes and build suitable scenes based on the background of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and avoid obvious background errors."

"This is the minimum respect for Chinese culture and history. I believe Disney will accept this suggestion."

As an actress, Liu Yifei certainly cannot ask for changes to the main plot of "Mulan", and she has no right to do so.

But in addition to the main story, it is no problem to be strict with the historical background that appears in the movie.

When Wu Yuan was filming "Pirates of the Caribbean", when he filmed the Asian Pirate King, he also asked the crew to hire a professional professor of historical costume research to ensure that there would be no cultural omissions.

"If Disney doesn't even agree to this request, then you should think carefully."

Although the European and American story of "Mulan" can't be changed, the things in the original movie that don't fit the historical background can still be adjusted.

Removing these incongruous scenes can also reduce the complaints of domestic audiences, although this may not be very meaningful.

No matter how "Mulan" is filmed, as long as the production team of this movie is a Hollywood team, it is destined not to be accepted by Chinese audiences. You can't expect a group of white Europeans and Americans to shoot a Chinese historical story that Chinese people recognize. This is a fantasy.

But as long as the European and American markets can accept it, then this movie is beneficial to Liu Yifei. After all, she can use it to consolidate her international popularity and influence.

"I know." After accepting Wu Yuan's advice, Liu Yifei nodded seriously and planned to have a good talk with Disney later. (End of this chapter)