A theatrical follow-up of Disney’s Mulan II would be a reality if it weren’t for DreamWorks’ hit movie Shrek. In 2004, a sequel to Mulan was finished alongside Shrek 2. However, the original actor who voiced the iconic role of Mulan’s sidekick, Mushu, was missing. This outcome changed the course of Disney’s Mulan franchise forever.
Obliterating any possibility for a large release of Mulan II, Shrek was able to take the Disney sequel out of the running. Shrek’s success at the box office came after Disney’s 1998 hit animated feature Mulan. Disney’s Mulan shows the titular heroine (Ming-Na Wen) and her dragon Mushu (Eddie Murphy) joining the Chinese military in a musical that was well received by critics. Shrek features an ogre (Mike Meyers) with a comparably outspoken sidekick, Donkey, also voiced by Murphy. This DreamWorks film was an outstanding achievement critically and financially in 2001, lasting for three additional sequels.
Shrek ruined the release of Mulan II for Disney by holding on to the bankability of Eddie Murphy. As the new millennium approached, there was no way that Eddie Murphy would be allowed to star in two competing films. Voice acting both of these famous roles was the nail in the coffin to any successful prospects for Disney’s franchise. To start, by keeping the film’s star under contract at DreamWorks Pictures, it did not allow for any concurrent Disney-related projects. Further, this legal obligation to not work on the Disney sequel to Mulan took away any chances of a theatrical release. Disagreements behind the scenes at these enormous movie studios are ultimately to blame.
There are clear reasons why Shrek sabotaged Mulan II for Disney. These stem from DreamWorks’ decision to cast Eddie Murphy after Shrek‘s animation was completed in 2000. Contractual obligations for Shrek 2 kept him away from Mushu and stopped him from returning to Walt Disney Pictures. Additionally, the Shrek franchise damaged Mulan II based on audience reception. Mulan II was released direct-to-video shortly after the time of Shrek 2’s 2004 wide release. Audiences took to Mulan II poorly, and this was connected to Mushu’s voice actor replacement, Mark Moseley. Known to frequently stand-in for Murphy, Moseley’s impersonation was believable, but it did not compare to the strength of Eddie Murphy’s brilliant work in Mulan. The move majorly affected the Disney film’s gross. If Eddie Murphy had not won the role of Donkey, Disney’s Mulan 3 merchandise and a trilogy of films could have been on the billion-dollar level of Toy Story.
Mark Moseley formerly voiced the Mulan character in Disney’s House of Mouse animated series and for the video games featuring Mushu, such as the Kingdom Hearts series. Replacing Eddie Murphy for Mulan-related media was just the beginning of his career. Since 1998, Mark Moseley provided the voice for Disney’s Animated Storybook: Mulan PC game, immediately replacing Eddie Murphy in the starring role. Though Mulan II was a flop, it was natural for Mushu to stay with the voice actor who had expanded his character into all future Disney media properties. In fact, Moseley was eventually asked to fill in for the voice of Donkey in the inevitable deluge of Shrek video game titles.
DreamWorks executive Jeffrey Katzenberg was famously enemies with Walt Disney Co. after leaving in 1994. To a certain degree, DreamWorks had the power to usurp the crown of feature-length animation royalty from Disney. The animation studio debuted in Hollywood by releasing The Prince of Egypt and distributing Antz in 1998. No one could have predicted the smash success of Shrek in 2001. Ultimately, Shrek undermined the plans of Disney’s Mulan II and its victory in the animated movie market. Disney’s goal to keep their voice acting talent in-house was upheaved by DreamWorks’ savvy business acumen. The competition between these major film studios has not slowed down in recent years. With the likes of the Boss Baby and Trolls franchises, Dreamworks will continue to compete with Disney and Pixar’s award-winning work.
