“This is arguably going to be your biggest project thus far. Are you mentally prepared for it?” we asked Yoson An, the male lead in the anticipated live-action retelling of Disney’s Mulan.
“Well, I don’t know what to prepare for; I don’t know what to expect,” An laughs. “It’s a new experience for me. It’s like trying to prepare me to drive a car when I’ve never been in one. I can learn about it but I would just have to flow with it, I guess.”
Being part of Mulan 2.0 is no easy feat. After all, this is the only animated Disney classic based on an Asian legend, voiced by a largely Asian cast (Ming-Na Wen provided the voice of the film’s lead, with Lea Salonga taking on the musical numbers), and gave us the much-loved theme song ‘Reflection’. Inherently, the film is the first Disney production to feature a strong female lead, one who isn’t portrayed as a typical Disney princess.
Yes. There’s a lot riding on this retelling, especially on the nostalgia front. And as evident from initial reactions to previous Disney live-action remakes (think back to last year’s Aladdin and 2015’s Cinderella), ardent fans can sometimes be too harsh even before seeing the final product.
“I think people need to understand that the animated movie—which is one of my favourite childhood films—was introduced to the Western world through Disney and it’s originally an ancient ballad. And what we’ve done with this film is that we went back to the ancient ballad and created a new adaptation of it,” An explains. “There are going to be similarities—the memorable elements that people loved in the animated original will still be in this film.”
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2020 من Esquire Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2020 من Esquire Singapore.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
THE MILD HANGOVER
Hangovers get a bad rap. We know. If you’ve gotten this far in the magazine, you’ve surely divined that we’re mildly hungover most of the time.
AN ELECTRIC FUTURE
Polestar, the minimalist electric Swedish car brand, turns the voltage up on its competition.
LET'S GET REAL (ESTATE): LUXURIOUS LONDON
Royalty, shopping, the best tea and scones the world has to offer, and a lifestyle worthy of what you're working for. Here's why London is ripe for your next investment
NEXT UP....ZARAN VACHHA
As Co-founder of the events and talent agency Collective Minds and Managing Director of the Mandala Masters, Zaran Vachha is definitely not new to the culture scene, but he's certainly shaping what comes next.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED...
I DON’T WEAR SOCKS except in January.
The Body Is a Language
A bad handshake is such a turnoff; we feel irked when someone rolls their eyes at us; we can't stop pacing when we're nervous-ever wondered how certain body language has the power to change how we feel instantly? We explore why.
EYE OF THE TIGER
Hailing from Singapore, Japan and Brazil respectively, Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes Darren Goh, Hiroki Akimoto and Alex Silva are proof that the ring demands as much from mind as it does from matter.
THE ADONIS COMPLEX
With the rise of superhero culture making a return and bringing with it the celebration of the classically ‘masculine’ body type, can men really overcome the pressure to conform when culture keeps getting in the way?
FUNNY BUT TRUE
A comedian, an iconic Singaporean, and now a man much evolved. After overcoming two years of pandemic limbo, unlocking career milestones one after another and undergoing a life-defining physical transformation, Rishi Budhrani is ready to emerge into the world renewed-and anew.
LIKE NO OTHER
With its horological triumphs, Hermès has truly come into its own as a watchmaking maison. In this exclusive interview with Esquire Singapore, CEO of Hermès Horloger, Laurent Dordet sheds some light on his timepieces' rising stardom and the importance of being different.
