When singer-actor Zheng Yunlong was asked what his reaction would be if he woke up to find that he suddenly possessed a couple of oversized ears like Dumbo, the 28-year-old says he would take selfies and post the photos on his WeChat account.
His answer is interesting since it quickly establishes a connection between Chinese youngsters and the character of Dumbo, the titular baby elephant in Disney's 1941 classic animated film.
Zheng, who was recruited to sing the Chinese version of the theme song in the upcoming remake of Dumbo, performed the song at a premiere screening at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre at the Shanghai Disney Resort on Tuesday night.
"It's a very heartwarming and inspirational story, and Dumbo is so cute," says Zheng.
The new live-action adaptation, also titled Dumbo, will open across Chinese mainland theaters on March 29.
The award-winning actor, who is also known for popular variety shows such as Super Vocal and Singer, reveals he used some musical techniques in his rendition borrowed from the iconic song Baby Mine, which was nominated for an Academy Award for best original song in 1942.
Directed by Tim Burton and starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton and Eva Green, the new film set in 1919 follows a struggling circus troupe that reaches a turning point when a baby elephant with a pair of enormous ears is born.
Under the guidance of two siblings - the children of the former horse trainer, played by Farrell - the elephant discovers his amazing ability for flight and soon soars to become a circus star - which also draws an unexpected threat from a greedy entertainment tycoon.
A typical Disney family-themed film, the story highlights the values of justice and love, as well as examining approaches to parenting.
Unlike the original film, which mostly comprises animated animal characters, the new retelling of Dumbo has far more human characters in its ensemble.
Thanks to the advanced technology that Disney used to bring to life of a number of animal roles in the 2016 film, The Jungle Book, Dumbo's character has been vividly re-created in the new film.
Green, who plays aerialist Colette Marchant, conquered her fear of heights to perform a lot of the stunts herself with the help of a professional aerialist. Some of the most eye-popping scenes feature Green's character riding on the back of the little elephant as it flies through the air.
The film also marks the third time that Green, the renowned French actress and model, has worked with Burton, who also directed the 2010 Disney live-action film Alice in Wonderland.
The original 1941 film scored 8.1 points out of 10 on the popular Chinese review site Douban, and so far, more than 16,000 users have marked on the site about their high expectations for the remake.
