Although she isn't present in the original Chinese story (ballad) of Mulan or the animated film, Xianniang is receiving much attention as a fascinating addition. Xian Lang (also spelt Xianniang) is the secondary antagonist of the 2020 Disney live-action film Mulan, a remake of the 1998 animated film of the same name. Xianniang's powers are only lightly explored via a number of visual sequences — turning into a hawk, transforming into a flock of attacking birds (reminiscent of Dracula's shapeshifting lore), and seemingly possessing members of the opposing forces. Gong Li stars as a shape-shifting witch in Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan, her first role in a Hollywood film in 13 years. A new trailer for Mulan has arrived online today, and it’s packed with nods to the memorable songs of the original film.. Disney’s live-action take on its 1998 animated movie has been directed by Niki Caro and is again based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a boy in order to take her elderly father’s place in battle. In her native China, she's also known for her modeling and music careers. The witch, played by screen legend Gong Li, has an array of dark talents, including the power to possess other bodies and to shape-shift into various forms, including a flock of … Gong Li herself compared her character to a (shape-shifting) demon, while the villain Bori Khan describes her as a witch (and Xianniang describes herself as a warrior). In this way, Xianniang appears to be a form of the Western witch (ostracized, with supernatural powers) placed within a vague context of Chinese mythology and martial arts aesthetics — both xianxia and wuxia. SALT LAKE CITY — Surprise, that live-action "Mulan" remake is still chugging along, and new details have emerged about the movie’s new villain. In these stories, those who cultivate qi are often just humans and regular people (with a certain level of personal commitment and focus), rarely given anything like the status of "witch" — but one might eventually reach the status of something like "immortal." I’ve seen the actress, Gong Li, who played the witch in several other movies, and she is dazzling. Mulan's main cast features an accomplished Chinese-American actress (who spent her formative years in the United States), along with world-renowned Asian performers. Yifei is best known for roles in The Forbidden Kingdom, The Assassins, and The Third Way of Love. The titular heroine, Hua Mulan (Liu Yifei), disguises herself as a man in order to spare her elderly father from having to join the military. The actress was not present at the D23 Expo in August, at which fans were given a sneak peek at footage from the movie. The legend of Hua Mulan developed and spread in China following the poem of Guo Maoqian in the 6th century, The Ballad of Mulan (木蘭辭, mù lán shī) during the Southern and Northern Dynasty 南北朝 nán běi cháo (420–589). Disney's Mulan very heavily uses the symbol of the phoenix (the statue, her father's crest — even the colorful mythic phoenix that seems to guide and protect Mulan). https://rankdome.com/most-beautiful-chinese-actress-in-china https://nerdist.com/article/mulan-live-action-female-villain One Twitter user pointed out that she displays abilities similar to a being known as a fox spirit, and Chinese spirits commonly have the ability to shapeshift and possess others. Xianniang cements Disney's Mulan as a fantasy film in the much more conventional, contemporary sense, but she ultimately serves as a metonym for Disney's approach to Mulan: strong on cinematic visuals, weak on narrative, and overall, generally questionable as to cultural accuracy or origin in the context of the story. Update your browser for more security and the best experience on this site. Somehow, it has accomplished the rare feat of pissing off both Western and Eastern audiences for different reasons. really really like their chemistry, but neither one gets to truly showcase their talent here with such weak writing. Although witchcraft is sometimes considered part of Chinese folk religion, the concept of the "witch" and the connotations that come with it (or, for that matter, related beings including the mage, shaman, and the like) are not as common in xianxia narrative tradition. The cartoon Mulan’s voice actress Ming-Na Wen makes a cameo, and I feel so bad for her because they put her in such an ugly, cheap looking dress. She learns that Mulan is actually a woman and comes in… Disney's new trailer for its live-action Mulan film features a brand new antagonist, Gong Li as the witch, Xian Lang. Based on what Xianniang explains to Mulan, she never went through the arduous process of qi cultivation (nor is this concept ever suggested). She is the youngest of three children. Protestors lobbied against the movie because Chinese star Liu Yifei, the actress who played Mulan, reposted a pro-Hong Kong police comment during the democracy demonstrations last year. In the recently released live-action version of Mulan, the shape-shifting witch, Xianniang, is also introduced before we meet her ally, Böri Khan, when she possesses a man to conceal her entry into an imperial town in advance of Khan’s invading Rouran army. But, keep in mind, that the Chinese phoenix is markedly different than the Western phoenix. Although her behavior does mostly conforms to convention — characters challenging the protagonist, leading them to discover something in themselves — her presence in the film has struck a chord in eager audiences, even in those who wanted an adaptation much closer to the animated movie. Her brother's name is Ron, and her sister's name is Karen. Donnie Yen and Jet Li will also play key roles in the story, as Mulan’s mentor and the Emperor of China respectively. Actress is in three upcoming films, including Mulan. The film stars Yifei Liu in the title role, alongside Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li in supporting roles. Let's go back to xianxia. There will be no songs. #BoycottMulan began trending in August 2019, more than a year before the live-action “Mulan” release. 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