Sony Pictures has hired a white director for a live action remake of "Mulan," making it a target of criticism in social media for another whitewashing issue. The film is based on an ancient Chinese legend about a young woman named Hua Mulan disguising as a man to join the imperial army in lieu of her father.
Previously, it was reported that Sony was looking for an Asian director. However, the studio reportedly hired Alex Graves, a director who had worked with the HBO series "Game of Thrones," which stars Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams as Daenerys Targaryen, Sansa Stark and Arya Stark, respectively.
Grave directed several episodes of the third and fourth seasons of "Game of Thrones." One of these is "The Mountain and the Viper," which shocked many followers for the unexpected brutal death of a fan favorite. His other credits are "House of Cards" and "The West Wing."
With Graves at the helm, Sony's "Mulan" is still a Chinese co-production and will have a Chinese actor for the lead role, according to Deadline. Though the project would have been a perfect chance for many talented Asian-American film directors, some agreed that the script and the actress are more important.
"If they do it right and the director is willing to learn the story behind 'Mulan,' that is still okay," Asian American International Film Festival director Judy Lei told Newsweek. She added that it would have been amazing to have an all-Asian team doing the film.
Recent films have been pointed out for whitewashing in Hollywood. Marvel was criticized for casting Tilda Swinton to portray The Ancient One, a Tibetan character with magic powers for its upcoming "Doctor Strange." Critics frowned when Scarlett Johansson was cast in "Ghost in the Shell," an English-language adaptation of the Japanese manga of the same name.
The casting of Matt Damon in the upcoming "The Great Wall" as a soldier who protects China's Great Wall from mythical enemies also generated heated feedback. The film is said to apply the seeming stereotype that "only a white man can save the world."
Meanwhile, Disney is also pushing its own adaptation of "Mulan" and is looking for lead actors and an Asian director. A petition in September which drew a hundred thousand signatures asked Disney to avoid whitewashing key roles in films.
Watch Filipino singer Lea Salonga perform "Mulan" song "Reflection" here: