Disney: #MakeMulanRight

Disney

UPDATE: After 16,000 signatures and a trending hashtag demanded Disney #MakeMulanRight, Disney has promised Mulan would remain the lead character in her own story and that “all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese.”

It’s a huge win, but the fight isn’t over. We’ve always believed that media representation is about more than who is on camera: it’s also about who is in the writer’s room and the executive office. That’s why we need to keep building pressure for Disney to #MakeMulanRIght by committing to hire an Asian American writer to work on the script.  

Tell Disney to add an Asian American writer to the “Legend of Mulan” team.



The first complete draft script of Disney’s live-action feature film The Legend of Mulan was just leaked. While we’d normally be jumping for joy, it turns out it centers Mulan’s story around a white man who travels to ancient China and rescues our hero. Seriously.

I know what you’re thinking. We thought so too. And although Disney has hired new writers to rewrite the story, the entire writing team is still white.

Mulan -- the hero of Disney’s 1998 classic, a staple of many Asian American childhoods, and the original Chinese legend -- does not need saving from a man, let alone a white dude with a savior complex. But it does seem like Mulan needs saving from Hollywood whitewashing! Let’s #MakeMulanRight.

Tell Disney to ditch the white savior plot and to do one better: hire an Asian American writer to add to the team.

We have a great opportunity here: since the script is being rewritten, we can make it clear that Mulan can stand on her own. We know we have the power to shape industry trends, like when we got NBC to drop the offensive Mail Order Family just days after they announced the sitcom premise.

We can’t let Disney turn The Legend of Mulan into yet another Hollywood blockbuster with a white male lead and harmful stereotypes about Asians -- and Asia. We grew up on the 1998 animated classic that featured Mulan as the empowered, feminist heroine of Chinese folklore. And that’s the Mulan we want.

Tell Disney to not ruin our childhood Mulan -- bring an Asian American writer on board to help ditch the white savior script! #MakeMulanRight



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To: Disney
From: [Your Name]

Mulan does not need saving from a man, let alone a white dude with a savior complex. The only thing Mulan needs saving from is Hollywood whitewashing! Let’s #MakeMulanRight.

Tell Disney to ditch the white savior plot and commit to having Asian American writers in the room.

There’s still time for the original script will be rewritten -- which is why we need to make it clear that Mulan does not need a man. We know we have the power to shape industry trends, like when we got NBC to drop the offensive Mail Order Family just days after they announced the sitcom premise.

We can’t let Disney turn Mulan into yet another Hollywood blockbuster with a white male lead and a western lens that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. We grew up on the 1998 animated classic that featured Mulan as the empowered, feminist heroine of Chinese folklore. And that’s the Mulan we want.

And hey, Disney? Mulan is a cornerstone of so many Asian Americans’ childhoods. If you’re going to re-write the story of Mulan, you better have Asian American writers in the room!

Tell Disney to not ruin our childhood Mulan! #MakeMulanRight