Disney's Mulan live-action star Liu Yifei expressed her concern for the coronavirus outbreak in her birthplace in Wuhan, China. During the press tour for her upcoming film, Liu voiced out that it's too heavy for her to think about what's happening about the outbreak.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Liu believes that putting residents in quarantine is the right thing to do. However, she also sympathizes with the people who haven't been out of their houses for weeks.
The actress, who was picked over 1,000 hopefuls to play the titular role, said that she is hoping for a miracle to stop the spread of COVID-19. Like many people all over the world, Liu said that she hopes the outbreak will be over soon.
The Mulan star also commented on the #BoycottMulan controversy. In August 2019, the actress threw her support for the Hong Kong police amid its violent action against protesters. Some Disney fans were disappointed with Liu's pro-China stance and proposed to boycott her movie.
Since the controversy, Lui has not said anything about the boycott against Mulan. During the press tour, however, the actress admitted that she would lose out if she allows the pressure to affect her.
Liu said that the political situation in Hong Kong is very complicated, and since she's not an expert, all she can hope is for its resolution. Liu said that the matter is sensitive.
According to Professor Dorothy Lau of the Academy of Film in Hong Kong, Chinese celebrities like Liu mostly avoid posting political statements as it can be a risk to their careers. However, USC Chinese political professor Stanley Rosen said that the controversy might actually help boost Mulan's box office numbers. The expert said that those people outside of Hong Kong might have forgotten about the controversy while China remains supportive of Mulan and is coming out with government-sponsored publications about the film.
Mulan is reportedly Disney's attempt to seize a very profitable market -- the Chinese movie-going audience. But with many cinemas across the country shutting down because of the coronavirus, will the movie be at risk of losing at the box office?
The film also stars Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan, Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, Yoson An as Cheng Honghui, Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor.
