Disney delays Mulan again following COVID-19 case surge

Cooler heads are starting to prevail in Hollywood. Well, maybe just a little bit cooler. Following Warner Bros.’s announcement last week that Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is being held back an extra two weeks, Disney announced over the weekend that it was delaying Mulan as well. With Tenet moved from its original 17 July release date, it would have meant that Mulan would have been the first major studio blockbuster to hit screens on 24 July following the months-long COVID-19 lockdown. But Disney clearly doesn’t want its $200 million live-action adaptation being the proverbial canary in the coal mine.

A recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the State of New York forced it to keep cinema doors closed an extra fortnight to 31 July which prompted Tenet’s delay accordingly. And that appears to be what has resulted in Mulan’s delay as well, but Disney is being a lot more cautious as the film is being held back nearly a month to 31 August 2020. In a joint statement, Disney Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Alan Horn and Co-Chairman Alan Bergman indicated that the studio is willing to shift the date again so as to ensure that Mulan debuts on the big screen and doesn’t get shunted off as a streaming release as some have suggested.

While the pandemic has changed our release plans for ‘Mulan’ and we will continue to be flexible as conditions require, it has not changed our belief in the power of this film and its message of hope and perseverance. Director Niki Caro and our cast and crew have created a beautiful, epic, and moving film that is everything the cinematic experience should be, and that’s where we believe it belongs – on the world stage and the big screen for audiences around the globe to enjoy together.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic derailing the entire world’s plans, Mulan had been getting some fantastic buzz from early viewers. The live-action remake of Disney’s classic animated film won’t be a straight adaptation of that 1998 film, but will instead go back to the original historical Chinese legends of Mulan. As such, many of the mystical elements, as well as the animated version’s beloved songs have been removed, but instead are replaced by a whole lot of wuxia action and a killer cast. Personally, I’m definitely down to see that. Whenever it eventually gets released.

Last Updated: June 29, 2020