Mulan’s live-action incarnation looks amazing

Did anyone really doubt that Mulan, of all the Disney movies coming to live-action, would not make an excellent initial impression?

At the end of the original Mulan, Grandma Fa says, “Sign me up for the next war!” within about three seconds of seeing Li Shang’s face for the first time. Granted, Li Shang is probably not in the live-action Mulan, but worry not: Fa Mulan herself is picking up the slack.

Disney, in order to announce that the film has started production, posted a photo featuring Liu Yifei in costume as Mulan:

That’s the good stuff right there. The image seems to be embracing both sides of Mulan. To reflect her martial abilities, she’s holding a jian, one of the most common sword types, and she’s also not wearing any visible makeup. Her hair is loose, and she looks ready to throw down with anyone who gets in her way. But even so, she’s wearing robes which feature embroidery, giving her an also feminine look.

Pointedly, she’s also wearing the color red. Suffice it to say that that choice likely wasn’t made by accident, because red connotes things like “prosperity, good fortune, [and] happiness,” all things that Disney would like to have when this movie arrives in 2020.

Granted, the photo doesn’t show her in any sort of setting, but to be fair, production just started. There probably aren’t many sets constructed yet. This seems instead to be a picture to reassure fans that Liu is capable of filling the animated shoes in capturing Mulan’s physicality.

What do you make of this photo? Does it make you want to volunteer yourself to buy a movie ticket in a solid two years when the movie’s out, or are you going to wait and see what else Mulan has up its sleeves?