'Mulan' movie's general release planned for this summer

The world premiere of Mulan was held in Hollywood on March 9 with much of its international cast in attendance.

Disney Studios announced that the much-anticipated general release of Mulan will be July 24. The original release date was supposed to be March 27, but then -- coronavirus happened and the world changed.

With much of China in quarantine last March, to play safe, the studio postponed the original March opening because it wants to have maximum US and international exposure and attendance for this big-budget feature starring a bevy of Chinese and Asian American stars. Disney hopes people will be allowed to attend the movies again by mid-summer.

“To avoid catastrophic losses to the studios, these titles must have the fullest possible theatrical release around the world,” an earlier statement from the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) reads.

The delayed opening of Mulan has a domino-like effect on a bunch of other Disney-Marvel productions pushing their releases. back.

With the Mulan release moving to the summer, that bumped the Scarlett Johansson Marvel flick, Black Widow to November 6, which was supposed to be the opening of The Eternals, featuring new Marvel superheroes Gemma Chan and the buffed up Kumail Nanjiani.

The new opening date for The Eternals will be Feb. 12, 2021, which was supposed be our first look at Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, starring Simu Liu.

The first Marvel flick with an Asian hero in the lead role played by Chinese Canadian Liu, the Shang-Chi flick now is scheduled to open on May 7, 2021.

Before the self-isolate mandate went into full effect to combat the spread of the coronavirus, on March 9 Mulan had its red-carpet premiere in Hollywood to generally rave reviews from those in attendance. These glittery affairs are usually invitation only for audiences who have something at stake in the film's success.

Gemma Chan cast in major role in Marvel's 'The Eternals'

Sersi, left, as depicted by Marvel Comics, is Gemma Chan's character in upcoming movie, The Eternals.

As Marvel launches it's next phalanx of superheroes for Disney Studios, Crazy Rich Asians co-star Gemma Chan joins the cast of The Eternals, as Sersi. The announcement was made during Disney's D23 Expo when the studio revealed details about their upcoming projects.

It is the second Marvel character played by the Chinese Brit. Chan played the blue-skinned villain, Minn-Erva, in Captain Marvel.

She joins a star-laden cast, including A-listers Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Salma Hayek. Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) who will play Kingo, one of the Eternals, a race of powerful beings are thousands of years old and who have influenced the course of human history.

On its webpage, Marvel describes the character Sersi:

Sersi is a member of the Eternals, a species diverted from humanity by experiments conducted by the Celestials one million years ago. She is at least 5,000 years old and became legendary around 1,300 B.C., when the Greek hero Odysseus and his crew, fresh from the Trojan War, came to her island Aeaea. Sersi transformed Odysseus' crewmen into pigs for attempting to menace her. Odysseus, however, managed to ward her off with the aid of the goddess Athena, and Sersi turned his men back to normal. Odysseus spent a year on Aeaea; she also encountered Odysseus' son Telemachus when he came following his father's path. Centuries later, Sersi still considered Telemachus to be the love of her life.

Over the centuries Sersi often interacted with humans, visiting Rome during the reign of Nero, helping Merlin expose an impostor (Merlin Demonspawn) in Camelot, visiting France during the French Revolution, and befriending the English poet Thomas Chatterton.

In recent years, the Celestials returned to Earth to judge humanity, the Eternals, and their other creation, the Deviants. Sersi became involved in the struggle, enjoying the adventure, but caring little for combat. By this time, Sersi had become a famous entertainer in New York, hosting parties at her loft for film stars, super heroes and other influential people. She often entertained with her powers, which her normal human guests believed to be stage magic. Sersi's super-hero friendships eventually led her to join the Avengers in search of adventure and romance, first pursuing Captain America and later the Black Knight. Sersi was a sublime yet powerful teammate until she was driven insane by Proctor, an alternate-reality Black Knight whose Earth had been destroyed by his world's Sersi. Sersi eventually slew Proctor and left the Avengers, operating in the extra-dimensional Ultraverse for a time before returning home and regaining her sanity. She continues to live in New York, occasionally aiding the Avengers and her people against their foes, but preferring her life as a socialite.

The Black Knight mentioned prominently in Sersi's bio is being played by none other than Kit Harrington, fresh off Game of Thrones, so expect sparks to fly between those too.

Sersi's role iis central n the storyline. The Hollywood Reporter reports that "one aspect to the story involves the love story between Ikaris, a man fueled by cosmic energy, and Sersi, who relishes moving amongst humans." 

The Eternals will be directed Asian American Chloe Zhao, whose previous movies have been indies, The Rider and Songs My Brother Taught Me. The superhero movie is set to hit the screens in November, 2020.

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Marvel surprises at ComicCon; Canadian actor will play Shang-Chi in first film with an AsAm superhero

Chinese Canadian Simi Liu will play the role of Shang-Chi.

Marvel made a series of huge announcements at 2019 San Diego ComicCon laying out the future of Marvel films after the Avengers: Endgame completed one chapter of the comic book franchises' universe.

One of the biggest reveals was the actor who will play Shang-Chi.who will become the first Asian superhero with a film of his own. Marvel picked Canadian actor Simu Liu, best known for his role in the Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience.

Also joining the movie will be Crazy Rich Asians and The Farewell star Awkwafina and veteran actor Tony Leung.

Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige said the movie's full title would be Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and would be hitting theaters in Feb. 12, 2021.

Marvel conducted "a really in-depth search to find someone that will capture all the dimensions that he deserves," noted director Destin Daniel Cretton just before announcing and bringing Liu onto the stage.

"I was cast on Tuesday," Liu said the lightning fast process that brought him to Hall H. "I screen-tested on Sunday in New York. This is the the craziest, craziest dream." He also said that his parents came to Canada 25 years ago with almost nothing but a hope to build a life for their family and "all I've ever wanted was to make them proud."

Hopefully, having an Asian American director will help correct some of the stereotypes that the comic book depended on for Shang-Chi. 

Created by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin in 1973, the writers depended on all the mystical stereotypes in vogue at time, the midst of the cheaply made chop-socky movies and the TV series Kung Fu for all the lore and backstory for Shang-Chi. 

The martial arts master was supposedly trained by his father ... uh, ... Fu Manchu, the ultimate in stereotypes.

The upcoming movie, expected to premiere on  Feb. 12, 2021, offers the opportunity for Marvel and Cretton to bring the character up to date. To hell with the fanboys who cling to the stereotypes of the original pulp hero.

Feige also laid what the ComicCon attendees can expect in the next few years from Marvel, one of the richest source materials and box office treasure chest for Hollywood.

• Black Widow, starring Scarlett Johanssen, will be released May 1, 2020.

• Mahershala Ali would be joining the MCU as Blade, the vampire hunter that was played by Wesley Snipes in three movies previously.

• The Eternals will follow on Nov. 6, 2020. The audience roared is approval as the cast came on stage including Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikarus, as well as Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek as Ajax, Lia McHugh and Don Lee as Gilgamesh. Asian American Chloé Zhao is directing the film.

• Natalie Portman will portray a female Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, and will debut Nov. 5, 2021 helmed by Maori filmmaker Taika Waititi.

• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit theaters May 7, 2022.

• In addition, Disney+, the studio's new streaming channel, will debut later this year and will feature several series starring Marvel's seemingly endless rollcall of superheroes, aliens and gods.

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Asian American woman tabbed to direct Marvel's 'The Eternals'

SCREEN CAPTURE / GOLDEN GLOBES

Chloe Zhao tabbed do helm a Marvel blockbuster.

ASAM NEWS

AN UP AND COMING Asian American director has landed in the big time.
Marvel Studios has hired Chloe Zhao to direct The Eternals, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

The big-budget Marvel film is a departure from the independent films Zhao has built her reputation on. Zhao is best known for directing two award-winning independent films. Her latest, The Rider, won the Directors’ Fortnight Award at the Cannes Film Festival. Her debut film, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, received three nominations from the 2016 Independent Spirit Awards.

Sources told Variety that Marvel was so enthralled with Zhao that the studio moved quickly to nab her before she landed another job.

Her rise comes at a time much attention has been made about the lack of women directors in Hollywood.

“I want to make sure the people who work with me want to work with me-not to fill a quota,” Zhao told AsAm News earlier this year. “I understand each woman has to be an individual.”

The Eternals is considered Marvel’s next potential franchise. It has hired Matthew and Ryan Firpo to write the script. The Eternals takes place a million years ago. Genetic experiments on humans are being conducted by the Celestials. The story will include a love story between Ikaris, who has cosmic energy, and Sersi, who hangs with the humans, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A part of Disney-owned Marvel's intention to have half of its future projects helmed by women, Zhao is the third woman to helm a Marvel project based on its comic book superhero characters. The upcoming Captain Marvel starring Brie Larson is being directed by Anna Boden (who directs with Ryan Fleck) and Cate Shortland directs Avengers star Scarlett Johansson in the Black Widow solo movie currently under development.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.
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