Protestors in Hong Kong are calling for a boycott against the upcoming Disney live-action remake of Mulan, after the film's star voiced support for the police.
The protests began as opposition to a bill that would have let Hong Kong citizens be extradited to China, but they continue to rage on weeks after the legislation was suspended, shutting down streets and airports with calls for better democracy.
Liu Yifei, the Chinese-born star of the upcoming Mulan film, has now further enraged protestors by publicly sharing her support for the Hong Kong police.
"I support the Hong Kong police," she wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo. "You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong."
Her comments were instantly met with the #BoycottMulan hashtag on Twitter (which is banned in China).
People further criticized the actress for commenting on the political situation despite being an American citizen.
Unsurprisingly, she was met with overwhelming support in the comments on Weibo, which is prone to being censored by the Chinese government.
Of course, there were also plenty of jokes about Scarlett Johansson stepping in to play the role of Disney's Chinese hero.
See some of the responses to Yifei's comments below.
Disney has yet to comment on the controversy. Mulan is slated to hit theatres on March 27, 2020.
The protests began as opposition to a bill that would have let Hong Kong citizens be extradited to China, but they continue to rage on weeks after the legislation was suspended, shutting down streets and airports with calls for better democracy.
Liu Yifei, the Chinese-born star of the upcoming Mulan film, has now further enraged protestors by publicly sharing her support for the Hong Kong police.
"I support the Hong Kong police," she wrote on Chinese social media platform Weibo. "You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong."
Her comments were instantly met with the #BoycottMulan hashtag on Twitter (which is banned in China).
People further criticized the actress for commenting on the political situation despite being an American citizen.
Unsurprisingly, she was met with overwhelming support in the comments on Weibo, which is prone to being censored by the Chinese government.
Of course, there were also plenty of jokes about Scarlett Johansson stepping in to play the role of Disney's Chinese hero.
See some of the responses to Yifei's comments below.
Disney has yet to comment on the controversy. Mulan is slated to hit theatres on March 27, 2020.
