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Yep - that won’t be a problem at al I’m sure.
On 31/08/2020, at 4:24 PM, Dave Campbell < s 9 (2)(a)
> wrote:
Awesome! Muchas gracias.
Do you think she'd be able to do it via Skype? We can't do it on a cell, so it will need
to be Skype or a landline.
Wel done you!
From: s 9 (2)(a)
< s 9 (2)(a)
>
Sent: Monday, 31 August 2020 4:22 PM
To: Dave Campbell < s 9 (2)(a)
>
Subject: Niki Caro
Helloooo my friend
Hope your Monday is going well? Am still waiting for confirmation on time with Niki Caro, but it looks like it might
be Wednesday morning (I hope that is not going to be a problem?). I’ll let you know ASAP.
Ax
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Have attached a fact sheet with details about Mulan, but also a bit of a summary for you. s9(2)(g)(i)
s 9(2)(g)(i)
s 9(2)(g)(i)
)
* the benefits of filming something of this scale in NZ ie we have amazing landscapes ie NZ
stands in for China and almost everywhere, film infrastructure ie Kumeu Film Studios and
super talented crew and post facilities ie Weta Workshop & Digital who have REALLY done
an amazing job. Niki gets quite excited about Weta and what they’ve achieved - digitally and
the making of weapons/costumes
* and the economic impact - the money it brings into NZ through employing people,
suppliers, accommodation providers, catering.. the spin off for everyone. I’m waiting on the
final total $$$ of what it brings to NZ.
There’s obviously a lot of talk around it going straight to streaming on Disney plus, which is
out of our hands, but the money has already been spent here, it's just a shame for our
theatres and consumers not seeing it on the big screen.
Will confirm the time and day as soon as I hear back. If it is not Wednesday morning it’ll be
Thursday morning.
And here’s a link to some stills. httpss 9(2)(g)(i)
I’ve also included a quote sheet which might be helpful too. There are some lovely quotes
about Niki.
Niki Caro The gist: After numerous false starts,
Mulan is finally being released to the public on Friday,
September 4 (Saturday for us). It’s going to be available on Disney+ (which we have in NZ) for $30. It
will be appearing in non-Disney+ markets (including China) at the cinemas.
Niki Caro (
Whale Rider) is the director.
Mulan trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK8FHdFluOQ
ABOUT THE MOVIE: Acclaimed filmmaker
Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary
warrior to life in Disney’s “Mulan,” in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her
family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known. When the
Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend
the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to
take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the
way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that wil
transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud
father.
Questions
Mulan was shot on location in New Zealand, with a cast that included 17 Kiwis and a crew that was
90% local. What people mightn’t know, however, is that the movie was originally going to be shot in
China…
You came along and made the suggestion that the film should be shot in New Zealand…
Was much convincing needed?
And New Zealand obviously compared favourably as a stand-in location for China in this instance...
Forty nine sets were built, six local film facilities were utilised, and a grand total of 143 shooting days
took place in New Zealand. How significant was the production of
Mulan for the local film industry?
And it’s not just the film industry that’s benefiting, is it? This was a ful scale operation that brought a
lot of money to New Zealand through employing people, suppliers, accommodation providers,
caterers etc. The economic spin-off of
Mulan wil be significant...
You utilised Kumeu Film Studios and their crew and Weta Workshop & Digital, who have done an
incredible job digitally and with the making of weapons and costumes… of which there are plenty...
How rewarding is it for you as a New Zealander to be able to highlight some of the very best of what
the NZ film industry has to offer?
The film also discovered Auckland actor Yoson An, who plays Mulan’s love interest. Speaking about
you, he said: “I mean, the scope of this film is huge, but [Caro] knew exactly what she wanted in every
specific moment, every scene”. And that gave him a lot of confidence as an actor. How important is it
for you as a director to always lead from the front?
You’ve stressed that cultural authenticity is something that you take very seriously. And you’ve made
a lot of movies outside of your culture. But some people wil still ask -- as they have done before
(
Whale Rider) -- if Niki Caro is the right person to be telling this story. Does that concern you at al ?
Did you get much pushback about taking on this role?
You did your due diligence in preparing for
Mulan, as you wanted to ensure Chinese and Asian
people, in particular, would enjoy this film. What sort of reaction have you had from those
communities?
To help, you enlisted the services of legendary Hong Kong film producer Bil Kong (
Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon and
House of Flying Daggers) to make sure you got things right. In fact, he was the
first person you spoke to about this project. And he clearly brought a degree of street cred with him...
Mulan’s world premiere took place in Hollywood on March 9, but you could never have imagined what
was going to take place over the next six months. How frustrating has it been to see the international
theatrical release get delayed multiple times due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis?
Disney eventual y made the decision to release
Mulan on Disney+ this week (September 4). Which is
a shame for people who wanted to see it first on the big screen, but understandable given the
circumstances. However, this could also be seen as a significant moment for the film industry,
couldn’t it?
Might this be the way we al watch movies in the future?
What do we miss by not being able to watch movies in theatres?
We have Disney+ in New Zealand. Does this mean that
Mulan won’t be released in theatres in this
country?
Disney simultaneously released the film to cinemas on Friday in markets where Disney+ is
unavailable and theatres are open, including China. And that’s a country that’s going to be crucial to
Mulan’s bottom line, isn’t it?
Producer Jason Reed knew you would end up directing
Mulan the first time he met you. He says you
possess an ability to real y focus on the character, and you shot this film in a way that al owed people
to connect with Mulan’s character. How pleased were you with the final outcome?
What do you hope
Mulan fans get out of this live-action adaption of the story?
The movie was shot in some stunning New Zealand locations, including Omarama’s Clay Cliffs and
the Ahuriri Valley. And you say the level of energy and enthusiasm from all involved on set was also
stunning. What made the
Mulan filming experience so special?
You started filming on day one with a Maori blessing at dawn, and that was made all the more
beautiful by the fact you also had a Chinese incense ceremony, where we gave your offerings to the
ancestors. Was that cross-cultural China-New Zealand melding part of what made filming
Mulan so
special?
Among the other special things about
Mulan is the fact that you (the director), the producer, 1st AD
and the DP are al women. It’s the first time a move of this scale has been run by women… and that
means a lot to you, doesn’t it?
You’ve said you want
Mulan to be considered more as a war epic, rather than a Disney princess
movie. But the most important thing is for the movie to deliver the message that women are
powerful… right?
And it was the actual
Mulan character that drew you to project in the first place… what was it about
‘Mulan’ that really captured your imagination?
Mulan is rumoured to have cost $200 million to make. Which, if accurate, would make this the most
expensive film made by a female director. How does that sit with Niki Caro?
The $64,000 question. Do you think it’s possible to recoup that money from digital subscriptions
alone?
International grosses were always going to be a big part of the equation, but this could be a chance to
better monetize
Mulan to a streaming audience, couldn’t it?
Was the ever-decreasing possibility of a general release at the theatres -- which looks to have been
ultimately scuppered by Covid-19 -- what kept Disney from debuting
Mulan on Disney+ months ago?
Who ultimately signs off on releases date in instances such as this -- the big wigs at Disney? Were
you involved at all?
This was your first action movie. Wil you do more?
What’s next for Niki Caro?
OK thanks - this is such a nightmare. It’s now 9pm in LA and they still haven’t got back to me about
Niki.
Wil work around your commitments :-)
On 1/09/2020, at 3:26 PM, Dave Campbell < s 9 (2)(a)
> wrote:
For Thursday, we have a few pre-recs in place already.
Would be great if we can work around these, but we can probably shuffle things if it's
going to be problematic.
We have pre-recs on Thursday at: 7:30am, 8:30am, 10am, 11am.
Morning all,
Just including s 9 (2)(a) in correspondence as I'm off today and tomorrow and won't
be checking email as regularly.
The wonderful s 9 (2)(a)
our pre-rec times that are in already in place for
Thursday and wil try to work around these if possible.
I'm wondering now, though, is Friday perhaps looking more likely?
Anyway, this is undoubtedly THE movie of 2020 and THE Covid movie. Nothing
comes close in terms of painfully long, drawn-out anticipation and continued hype.
Bold but necessary play by Disney. But it could ultimately work wel for them.
Interesting times in film.
Cheers,
DC
