Disney's upcoming live-action remake of Mulan is still projected to have a strong box office opening weekend despite coronavirus concerns continuing to rise. Directed by Niki Caro, the film is gearing up to release on March 27 of this year. Unlike the 1998 animated film of the same name, this live-action iteration of the story will not feature musical numbers nor some of the familiar characters from the beloved animated classic. This upcoming version will, however, include a few new characters, mainly new villains named Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee) and Xian Lang (Gong Li). It also obtained a far more mature rating. Recently, Mulan was officially rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, making it Disney's first live-action remake to receive this rating.

With only a couple of weeks to go before Mulan hits theaters, many have wondered how the increasing fear of coronavirus will affect its turn at the box office. The virus has already affected the entertainment industry in a number of ways, with DC Comics canceling convention appearances throughout the month of March, Mission: Impossible 7 pausing production in Italy, and more recently the latest James Bond installment, No Time To Die, delaying its release to November. With so many productions being put on hold or delaying their release, it was only a matter of time before The Mouse House came into question. Thankfully, it looks like Mulan won't be suffering too much at the box office.

According to Deadline, Mulan is projected to have a "three-day domestic start around $85M" when it hits theaters. Some even think the movie "has a shot to get to $100M+ based on tracking diagnostics and comparative titles," but the coronavirus outbreak "brings uncertainty in regards to how much it will damper grosses." In the wake of MGM's delay of No Time To Die, projections are being lowered for a number of upcoming films. NATO did release a statement following the announcement of the Bond film's delay, explaining, "The movie business is simultaneously global and local. All theaters in the U.S. and Canada and the vast majority of movie theaters around the world remain open with strong ticket sales," adding in, "The decision to delay the release of the James Bond movie No Time to Die is very unique to that company and that movie."


Many individuals have started preparing for the worst when it comes to coronavirus, so it makes sense why projections for upcoming films are aiming lower than expected. It's unsure if other studios will follow in MGM's footsteps, but considering the unpredictability of the virus, it wouldn't be shocking to see. For a studio like Disney, however, delaying is a far less flexible move, especially with the release of major Marvel tentpoles like Black Widow on the horizon. Unfortunately, only time will tell if the virus will have major effects on the Mouse House.

As of right now, though, the studio seems like it'll be able to sustain itself through the coronavirus scares. Mulan's opening weekend projections are still very good, and hopefully, they'll keep the film on a good path throughout its theatrical run. Unfortunately, it's difficult to predict what will happen next with the coronavirus, but the entertainment industry will no doubt continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments accordingly.

Mulan (2020)
Release Date: Mar 27, 2020