Disney says it had to work with Chinese government on Mulan
- In letter to British politicians, company defends its cooperation with entities accused of human rights abuses in Xinjiang
- Disney says scenes in region amount to just 78 seconds – most of the movie was shot in New Zealand
Walt Disney defended its cooperation with government entities accused of human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region, saying the company had to work with the government to make films there.
“There are regulations that must be followed by all foreign film production companies wanting to operate in China,” Sean Bailey, president of Disney’s film studio, said in an October 7 letter to two British politicians. “These companies are not allowed to operate independently and must partner with a Chinese production company which is responsible for securing all film permits.”
Disney released Mulan, a US$200 million live-action remake of the company’s 1998 animated hit, last month. With the pandemic keeping many people in the US and Europe out of cinemas, the company made the film available for US$30 to subscribers of its Disney+ streaming service.
Within hours of its release, eagle-eyed viewers saw that the company thanked several entities in Xinjiang, where the government has been accused of oppressing the country’s Muslim-minority Uygurs.
The letter was addressed to Iain Duncan Smith, a member of the House of Commons, and Baroness Helena Kennedy, of the House of Lords, and it came in response to their query. Duncan Smith released it on Twitter.