Following in the footsteps of Universal Pictures with the upcoming James Bond film, No Time to Die, Disney has made the decision to postpone the release of Mulan — the live-action remake of the 1998 Hua Mulan-inspired animation.
The highly anticipated film was originally set to hit cinemas across Canada on March 26; however, due to the growing worldwide threat and concerns surrounding the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, it will now be pushed to a later date.
Niki Caro, the New Zealander director of Mulan, broke the news on Thursday through a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Making this film has been one of the most satisfying and exhilarating experiences of my entire career, and I’ve been so fortunate to be on this journey with some of the best cast and crew in the business — people who truly embody the attributes of loyal, brave, and true,” the 53-year-old wrote.
“We are so excited to share this film with the world, but given the current ever-shifting circumstances we are all experiencing, unfortunately, we have to postpone the worldwide release of Mulan for now.
“Our hearts are with everyone the world over who is affected by this virus, and we hope that Mulan’s fighting spirit will continue to inspire those who are working so hard to keep us all safe.”
The filmmaker concluded with a message of gratitude and hope towards fans of the Mulan franchise.
“Thank you for all of your enthusiasm and support, and I can’t wait for the day where we will all get to experience this tale of a girl warrior who became a legend together.”
On March 12, Cineplex, the nation’s biggest movie theatre franchise, released a statement in regard to COVID-19, promising moviegoers it would not be shutting its doors anytime soon, unlike many across China — where the outbreak began.
“While the Public Health Agency of Canada has assessed the current public health risk associated with coronavirus as low, we continue to monitor for developments very closely,” wrote Ellis Jacob, president and CEO of the company.
“I want to assure our guests that we are taking all appropriate measures to ensure our venues are safe and that we have existing plans and training protocols in place to ensure they stay that way.”
Jacob added that Cineplex has “implemented additional measures” to ensure the safety and cleanliness of its guests, employees and facilities overall.
“Know that we are doing our part by putting employment policies in place so that our hourly staff are protected and are not penalized financially if they need to stay home.
“To protect yourself and others, we ask that anyone who is feeling unwell refrain from visiting us so that together we can ensure a safe and comfortable experience for everyone.”
Additionally, a representative of Disney has confirmed to Global News that it will be postponing not only Mulan, but the releases of Marvel‘s The New Mutants and the Scott Cooper-directed sci-fi/horror flick, Antlers, too.
They credited the decision to “an abundance of caution.”
“We truly believe in the movie-going experience, and we are looking at new potential 2020 release dates to be announced at a later date,” the representative said.
A rescheduled release date has not yet been set for Mulan.
You can watch the film’s latest trailer in the video above.