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.
Anesthesiologist and newest cast member on 'The Real Housewives of Miami,' Dr. Nicole Martin, joins Cheddar News to discuss the latest season returning to Peacock.
The World Inequality Lab just released its inequality report, which looks at wealth and income inequality, gender inequality, and carbon emission inequality around the world. It is also the first global assessment of wealth and income inequality since the start of the pandemic. Matthew Post-Fisher, a coordinator with the World Inequality Lab and a research fellow at Harvard Kennedy school joins Cheddar News to discuss the findings.
Instagram Chief Executive Adam Mosseri is set to testify before Congress for the first time. Mosseri’s appearance follows reports that showed Facebook and Instagram are aware of the harms their apps and services cause, including to teen mental health. Nicole Gill, co-founder and executive director of Accountable Tech joins Cheddar News to preview the hearing.
Actor Hosea Chanchez joined Cheddar Wellness to discuss reprising his role in the Paramount+ reboot of the hit series "The Game '' and about the importance of mental wellness for Black men, identifying similarities between himself and the character he plays, Malik Wright. He noted that the role allowed him to submerge himself in the culture of athletes and let him explore and depict subjects that often go undiscussed in the Black community to draw attention to their relevance.
According to an Indeed survey, 77% of job seekers say work happiness is important when considering a future employer. Misty Gaither, Senior Director, Global Head of Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging, Indeed, joins Cheddar Wellness to discuss the importance of overall workplace happiness and how employees and employers can work towards that goal.
Michael Steinhardt, 81, has surrendered 180 stolen artifacts from 11 different countries worth $70 million. The former hedge fund manager has also received a lifetime ban from the antiquities market.
The U.S. has seen several retailers across the country forced to close their brick-and-mortar stores amid the rise of e-commerce over the past few years. However, we are in the midst of a brick-and-mortar boom, with retailers expected to open more stores this year than they close, for the first time since 2017, according to an analysis of more than 900 chains by IHL Group, a research and advisory company. At the same time, the e-commerce businesses of retailers have become more dependent on physical stores to fulfill orders, especially during the holiday shopping season. Lionesque Group CEO Melissa Gonzalez joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Heila Technologies, a startup that develops hardware and software to integrate renewables and batteries on a microgrid, is helping to power the first clean energy microgrid for Auto Mercado, a top supermarket chain in Costa Rica. The plant will reduce 20 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Heila Technologies CEO Francisco Morocz joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
