Can 'Mulan' Conquer Coronavirus?
by EG
One big Hollywood movie has already postponed its March opening because of fears over the spread of coronavirus. But Disney isn't backing down from its late-March release date for a live-action remake of Mulan. The movie could open big if audiences are willing to venture out into the public to see it. Read on for details.
Disney's Mulan is targeting a heroic U.S. debut of $85 million or more, according to early tracking.
If those projections hold, the movie would score the biggest opening of 2020 to date (the current crown holder is Bad Boys for Life with $62.5 million). Bullish box office observers believe Mulan ultimately has a shot of matching, or exceeding, Aladdin's $91.5 million domestic launch in summer 2019, based on the strength of tracking.
Directed by Niki Caro and featuring an all-Asian cast, Mulan stars Chinese actress Liu Yifei as the titular heroine Hua Mulan, who disguises herself as a man in order to spare her elderly father from having to join the military.
The $200 million tentpole, which rides into theaters on March 27, boasts strong awareness among general audiences and families and has three weeks left in which to make its final marketing push. It is the first of Disney's live-action remakes to carry a PG-13 rating, versus a PG.
To date, surveys from the various Hollywood tracking services don't indicate any slowdown in moviegoing in the U.S. because of the coronavirus, which has crippled the box office in China — where Mulan is counting on sizable returns — South Korea and Italy.
Get the rest of the story at The Hollywood Reporter.
Are you still planning to go to the movie theater despite the coronavirus? Let us know in the comments below.