How will the #BoycottMulan & Hong Kong events hit Disney & 'Mulan'? – Deadline

As pro-democracy protests continued on Sunday in the streets of Hong Kong, despite threats from Beijing's armed forces, the Walt Disney Company could find itself caught between the two sides on the screen.

Disney has always demonstrated an avant-garde approach when it comes to doing business in China and Asia, even going so far as to propel properties such as Black Panther and Star Wars: The awakening of the force, which were originally thought to be disputed in the region, at great ticketing heights.

But what happens when the star of a potential film for a $ 1 billion business in 2020 expresses support for those who allegedly violate human rights?

Thursday, of Chinese origin Mulan Star Liu Yifei exclaimed on the Weibo blog site, saying she was standing alongside the Hong Kong police, committed since June in an oppressive crackdown on protesters and anti-government journalists . The civil unrest was triggered by potential legislation that would have allowed the extradition of suspected criminals to territories where there is no formal extradition agreement. In addition to the previous riots, 1.7 million protesters today went to the streets of Hong Kong to face the rain in a situation that media like CNN described as peaceful.

"I support the Hong Kong police, you can beat me now. What a shame for Hong Kong. # Ialsosupporthongkongpolice #, "Yifei wrote last week. All of a sudden, Disney found itself in the middle of a global whirlwind of human rights, which he is currently waiting for. The deadline was set on Friday at the Burbank lottery, California, to get their point of view on #BoycottMulan and they did not respond to requests for comment. RelishMix reports that the Twitter hashtag #BoycottMulan reached a world record of 75K on Friday.

From what we know at the present time, the current outcry sparked by #BoycottMulan social media is not expected to have an impact. Mulan'S publication, which is March 27 in the United States / Canada (usually these big tentmast will go day and date with the United States). Mulan has not been dated yet in China or Hong Kong. A title such as Mulan, with a first quarter release would be submitted to the Chinese government film group late January. In general, Mainland China informs a Hollywood studio about a month before the release date of a photo.

"The boycott was launched by Hong Kong, the Chinese will deliberately go to see the film to protest the boycott. The film will benefit from all this, "said Stanley Rosen, professor of political science at the University of Southern California, specialist in Asian affairs.

The international film industry hopes that, if the current political situation in Hong Kong is extremely delicate, it could calm down well before MulanThe Liberation.

Sources also said it was not unusual for a young actress of Chinese descent like Yifei to be patriotic. While she was called on Twitter for her status as a naturalized US citizen, Yifei's career as an interpreter and model was launched in China. According to sources, Yifei reportedly expressed support for the protesters in Hong Kong, which would have created greater complications for Mulan and Disney's activities in the PRC. Last week, celebrities such as Tony Leung Ka-fai and Jackie Chan, who have always been pro-Beijing, gave their support to the state's POV against the Hong Kong protests.

In an interview with CCTV, Chan said, "What's happening in Hong Kong has recently caused a public outcry among Hong Kong supporters. When I saw that CCTV had posted on Weibo the hashtag "The five-star red flag has 1.4 billion flag guards, I immediately posted it again. I wanted to express as Hong Kong and Chinese the basic principles of patriotism. Security, stability and peace are like air. It is only when you lose them that you realize how precious they are.

Despite the optimism for Mulan in mainland China, the question is whether the repercussions of the Hong Kong event have repercussions on business, not only in the United States with an Asian audience, but in other territories outside the PRC.

"If the situation in Hong Kong becomes polarized, protracted and the crackdown on protesters is even more violent, and Yifei continues to tweet support for it, it could very likely have negative consequences. Mulan in Hong Kong and Taiwan, "said Rosen. A source of distribution in the area tells Deadline that Mulan"S B.O. The prospects are already gloomy in Hong Kong (that said, Hong Kong is not one of the top ten overseas territories for Hollywood films).

#BoycottMulan could have an immediate effect on Disney.

"The most important impact that the boycott could have is on Hong Kong Disneyland. Already, people are not going from the mainland to Hong Kong. Shanghai already has its own Disneyland, "says Rosen.

Although Disneyland in Hong Kong saw its attendance increase by about 10% between 2016 and 2018, a slowdown has recently been reported, with net losses in 2018 close to $ 7 million. Hong Kong Disneyland is not far from the Hong Kong airport occupied by activists, which has meant stopping flights in recent days.

Rosen says, "For young people, Mulan is on the fight against repression. Liu's comments will seem like a personal insult, both for them and for the character they love. Here is an actress who does the opposite of what the character and legend Mulan would do in the current situation, which would likely be a bias for the protesters. "

Nancy Tartaglione contributed to this report