Let Your Reflection Show You These Secrets About Mulan

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Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? 

In her bathroom mirror, Christina Aguilera once found herself, marking the spot where she initially recorded a Whitney Houston tune onto a cassette recorder. She shared with TopMob News years later that the acoustic qualities of the room made it an ideal choice for recording.

As a lifestyle expert, I can share that I had the opportunity to send a tape to Disney, which eventually led me to recording “Reflection,” my debut single and the concluding track on Mulan – one of Disney’s most cherished and groundbreaking animated films.

Disney’s 36th animated film was inspired by the ancient Chinese tale of Hua Mulan, a fierce and spirited female warrior. Released on June 19, 1998, it quickly became popular, with Ming-Na Wen providing the voice for its title character as a major contributing factor. The film grossed over $300 million at the box office and received an Oscar nomination.

The award-winning movie significantly boosted Christina Aguilera’s musical career, securing her initial recording contract at age 17.

Absolutely! As a lifestyle aficionado, I was thrilled to be part of the festivities when the enchanting tale of Mulan was brought to life as a live-action adaptation in 2020.

Twenty years after releasing my first album, it feels incredibly destined to celebrate this milestone. It’s even more special because I can now watch this movie with my children, Max who is 17 and Summer who is 10. The message in the film aligns so perfectly with what my music has always been about – expressing your truth, never giving up, and showing your inner strength and resilience.

In a move that surprised many fans, only two songs were unveiled for the eagerly awaited movie, while one original cast member, who has been cherished, didn’t make it through the transformation process.

Interestingly enough, the same song by Aguilera nearly didn’t make it into the initial release of the movie, Mulan. Instead, another actress was originally planned to lend her voice to Mulan.

Here are some fascinating tidbits from the making of the film that we’re unveiling to celebrate its 27th anniversary. Let these intriguing facts about Mulan inspire your inner hero!

In an innovative move, the 36th animated movie from Disney, titled “Mulan,” was the initial production primarily carried out at the Disney Animation Studio in Florida (formerly Disney-MGM Studios, now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios).

2. Over 700 artists spent five years crafting ‘Mulan’, a movie inspired by a 2,000-year-old Chinese folklore. The production’s groundwork started in 1994, as a team of artistic advisors were dispatched to China for three weeks to gather inspiration and deepen their understanding of the culture before the film was made.

3. Initially, the script for Mulan was a romantic comedy where Mulan fled after her father arranged a marriage with Li Shang. But when Chris Sanders joined to revise the screenplay, he encouraged the team to stick closer to the true story of Mulan’s legend.

4. Initially, Tia Carrere was thought to be the voice behind the title character. However, Lea Salonga, who lent her singing talents to Princess Jasmine in ‘Aladdin’, ultimately got the role to deliver both Mulan’s spoken and sung lines.

5. Initially, Salonga sang Mulan’s songs, but later on, Ming-Na Wen was chosen to speak the role because filmmakers felt that Salonga’s attempts to sound deeper as Ping were not convincing enough. Wen was cast following her impressive narration in “The Joy Luck Club.

In an interview with The Deseret News back in 1998, producer Pam Coats expressed that when they heard Ming-Na delivering her voice-over, it was clear she was their Mulan. Her voice is appealing and charming, which were the traits they aimed to find.

BD Wong acted as Captain Li Shang, but Donny Osmond sang for him in one of his songs. Donny Osmond was also considered to voice the main character in Hercules earlier on.

7. Jackie Chan voiced Li Shang in the Chinese version of the movie.

8. In an attempt to discover a comedic actor to voice Mulan’s fast-talking dragon companion Mushu, reminiscent of Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin, the filmmakers initially thought about casting Joe Pesci, Steve Martin, and Sinbad for the role. However, it was ultimately Eddie Murphy who agreed to take on the part.

9. Initially, there was a possibility that Murphy might not take on the movie role, as he was asked to record Mushu’s voice in a professional studio. However, Murphy suggested to Disney during an interview with The Chicago Sun-Times, “Why don’t we do it in my basement instead?” In the end, Murphy recorded his lines for the film at his home in New Jersey.

10. Originally, Mushu had a song in the script, but that melody was discarded once Murphy got the part, as stated by the lyricist David Zippel.

As a devoted follower, I penned down three distinct drafts of it. However, this was due to the fact that at that moment, we were unaware that Eddie Murphy wasn’t disliking our tunes; instead, he had no intention of singing in the movie.

The song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is one of the film’s standout tunes, but composer Matthew Wilder confessed to Entertainment Weekly that he didn’t anticipate it becoming as well-known as it is now.

In simpler terms, Wilder described the song as a training sequence-inspired tune, drawing comparisons from movies like “Private Benjamin” and “GI Jane”. He then imagined this concept in an Asian setting. The aim was to blend the notion of extreme masculinity, usually associated with Marine moments, but instead of Marines, it was the Chinese army.

13. As a lifestyle expert, I can share with you a behind-the-scenes battle I witnessed: Wilder and Zippel persistently advocated for keeping “Reflection” in the movie, as some filmmakers were considering its removal. It took all my might to ensure this beautiful ballad remained an integral part of the final cut.

13. Originally composed for the band Hanson to perform, the end-credit song “True to Your Heart” was later sung by Stevie Wonder, as an agreement with the boy band could not be finalized.

14. Towards the end of the movie, directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook appear in brief roles as the individuals who light the fireworks.

15. Unlike other Disney princesses, Mulan wasn’t born into royalty or married one. Instead, she’s a commoner.

16. A live-action version, developed over a ten-year period and helmed by director Niki Caro, featuring Yifei Liu as the lead character, was unveiled in September 2020.

17. One character who didn’t make the transition from animation to live-action was Mushu.

In an interview with USA Today, Caro clarified that Mushu, who’s well-loved from the animated version, served as Mulan’s confidante. To maintain authenticity during the transition to live action, it was necessary for her to develop relationships with her fellow soldiers in Mulan’s journey. As such, there was a wealth of material available for exploration in that aspect.

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2025-06-19 10:17