Would You Go See A Song-Free Mulan Remake?

Following La La Land's award season sweep (although, shout-out Moonlight, the real Best Picture winner), and Beauty & The Beast's record-breaking opening weekend, it only seems fitting that there are many, many more musicals on the Hollywood horizon. But one upcoming movie that will, surprisingly and disappointingly, be song free? Mulan. I know. I know!

During a brief interview with Moviefone, Niki Caro, the director of the 2018 live-action remake of the Disney film of the same name, revealed that it will not have any songs. Nada. Zilch. "From what I understand, no songs right now, much to the horror of my children," Caro remarked when asked about the no songs rumor. At least she realizes that the decision will be heartbreaking to many of the original film's fans, both young and old.

So, what will we get in sacrificing the incredible "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" training musical montage? A lot of ass-kicking action. Caro describes the film as "a big, girly martial arts epic. It will be extremely muscular and thrilling and entertaining and moving." Okay, I'm intrigued. With the movie still in pre-production, there is still time for them to change their mind on its decision to nix the musical aspect of the film, but it seems like the directors want a more action-packed movie in the same vein as director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down). Sean Bailey, Disney's President of Motion Picture Production, even told Vulture "Mulan is clearly an empowered-female story but we can also do something new in this reimagining, make it a little more muscular, stronger, with touch of Ridley Scott." Basically: less ballads, more battlefields.

Regardless of the exciting potential of a more "ass-kicking," Twitter is pretty upset about the news. One account joked that "mulan did not break gender roles and save her whole country for this mess." Another shared a video of two young Asian girls singing and dancing to the original Mulan soundtrack, and thus a scene that won't be nearly as sentimental in the new version.