There are a lot of perks to living and working in Hollywood. One of my most recent instances of this was when I was able to catch the world premiere of Disney's live-action remake of "Mulan." It happened back in March of 2020, literally a few days before the world went into a panic because of Covid-19.
At that time, I already caught a whiff of Covid-19 as I read up on the news on how it was spreading in Asia. So, just to be 100% safe, I actually wore a mask to the premiere. Back then, most people didn't wear them because they were still unaware of the safety of it. And because of that, I was given a lot of weird looks and mocking giggles. Well, I'd like to see how those people look now when masks are soon to be mandated in this country!
Anyways, the red carpet premiere was a lot more somber than usual. It may be because everyone knew that pandemic was just about to come then so they didn't make it that lavish an affair. I'd also blame the black and red color scheme of the place. Though it fitted well with the movie and everything, it just felt too dark for a Disney red carpet! Anyways, the stars, in their big gowns and glimmering suits, provided the much-needed sparkle for such a Hollywood gathering.
I was there as part of my internship at a PR agency that helped set up the premiere. However, I also have to admit that my personal priority was to get the cast to sign the posters I had with me. What can I say? An autograph hound's gotta do when autograph hound's gotta do! I was in luck that most of the cast were willing to do so!
Liu Yifei, who stars as the titular heroine, was every bit the Disney Princess. I'll never forget how her eyes sparkled as if she was flattered that a fan asked for her autograph. Such a sweet girl! Donnie Yen, on the other hand, was just as imposing in real life as I've always imagined he'd be. But then he was also really sweet when I asked for his autograph.
Then, of course, I couldn't not mention Mr. Jet Li! This guy, in my opinion, is the ultimate icon of Asian cinema! I've always regarded him as our generation's Bruce Li! Being the Hollywood legend that he is, he was polite, accommodating, and extremely friendly. I'm so proud to be his fan and felt even prouder when I got him to sign my posters. I think I even peed a little when he did it! Even though I've been hounding autographs for years, I have to say that the moment I got Jet Li's autograph was my best one yet!
As expected, "Mulan" was great! I'm so grateful I was able to watch it in a theater and get the stars' autographs before the world fell into a pandemic! There really is nothing like living in Hollywood!
Please note: Our inventory is limited as we may have only received a few posters in total. Most of our items are obtained from film premieres, studios, and from autographed hounds such as the one in the story above.
