This is a big weekend for Hollywood newcomer Jun Yu as the long-awaited live-action remake of the animated classic Mulan hits Disney+ and select theaters.
Yu plays the role of Cricket, who was an actual insect in the 1998 film. This time, he plays the character reimagined as a young boy who joins alongside lead character Mulan in the Emperor's army.
The actor told Cheddar this was not only his first major role — it was also his first professional audition. "To have gotten this role is truly a blessing, and I'm honored," Yu said.
When asked about differences between the new live-action film and the animated version he said, "I think our director had a good sense of direction of where she wanted to go. And so it made it very easy and very clear to follow her vision."
Still, he drew inspiration from the first movie. "Watching the original film, for me, it helped out a lot to really grab the essence of Cricket, who in the animated film and in this one, has a lot of innocence and purity, and that's what I really wanted to bring forth from the animated one to this one.'
Due to the coronavirus, productions and release dates in Hollywood were halted or postponed over the last several months. Mulan was originally slated for a March 27 debut but saw its opening pushed back several times. Ultimately, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced during an earnings call last month that the film would finally be released Labor Day weekend, but would be an added purchased on the company's streaming service.
Now Disney+ is betting movie fans will find the $29.99 price tag a small price to pay as the film industry slowly gets back to business.
L’Oréal is doubling down on its investment in tech. The French beauty giant unveiled two new high-tech products ahead of CES 2022, aimed at simplifying the hair coloring process. Guive Balooch, global vice president of L’Oréal Technology Incubator, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the company's innovations for hair coloring, including the Colorsonic application device and the Coloright AI diagnostic tool.
After meeting by chance in an airport, legendary actor Bill Murray and world-renowned cellist Jan Vogler joined forces to put out an album of poetry and music, go on a European concert tour, and release a feature documentary. Murray and Vogler joined Cheddar to dish about the experiences taking their “New Worlds: The Cradle of Civilization" on the road and filming the documentary that followed the pair, along with Mira Wang on violin and Vanessa Perez on piano, at their final show in Greece. "When this opportunity to play with Jan and Mira and Vanessa came along, I thought, well how bad can I be with these people behind me," Murray self-deprecatingly noted about his own musical talents.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals: Director of Programs at Alpine Ascents breaks down how to mentally and physically prepare for climbing Mount Everest; American Himalayan Foundation's Vice President discusses Sherpa culture and ethos, and why they are so critical to the climb; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History by the Numbers.'
All around the world, speed limits are placed on public roads to promote car safety and save lives. In that same world, car manufacturers have continued to look for ways to build faster and faster cars. Despite the dangers of speeding, many drivers are guilty of pushing the pedal from time to time. With cars being such a prevalent culture in everyday life, especially in the US, it’s worth wondering what it would take for car companies to once and for all settle the argument of safety versus freedom.
A recent study by MSI uncovers a vast racial divide in influencer marketing. The research found a 35% racial pay gap between white and black influencers. This gap is extremely wider than the gap in other industries such as education, business, and finance. The research also suggests that brands and agencies have the power to close this gap. Tiffany Hardin, founder and CEO of Gild Creative Group, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Student loan collection company Navient agreed to cancel $1.7 billion in debt and paid more than $140 million in other penalties to settle a lawsuit over abusive lending practices. Josh Shapiro, the attorney general of Pennsylvania who led negotiations in the settlement, joined Cheddar to go over the details of the company's predatory lending. "What Navient would do is charge [borrowers] these exorbitantly high rates, even though they knew people couldn't pay them or they would likely default on them," he explained.
Retail platform operator and delivery company, Foxtrot,
raised $100 million in a Series C round led by D1 Capital Partners. Foxtrot bills itself as the modern convenience store that combines what it calls in-store curated discovery with 30-minute delivery and 5-minute pickup. Since launching first as a digital-only delivery service, the company has since grown into a popular local retailer, opening 16 brick and mortar locations across Chicago, Dallas, and Washington, DC. Foxtrot co-founder and CEO Michael LaVitola joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
