It’s time to get down to business as production has begun Disney’s live-action “Mulan” movie. While it’s based off the same Chinese folktale as Disney animation’s “Mulan,” it won’t be a musical and will have some different characters (ie, no magical dragons named Mushu).
Liu Yifei was cast as Hua Mulan following a year-long global casting search. Joining her in the film are: Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Ron Yuan, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Nelson Lee, Chum Ehelepola, with Gong Li, and Jet Li.
“Mulan” is the epic adventure of a fearless young woman who masquerades as a man in order to fight Northern Invaders attacking China. The eldest daughter of an honored warrior, Hua Mulan is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. When the Emperor issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army, she steps in to take the place of her ailing father as Hua Jun, becoming one of China’s greatest warriors ever.
The movie is directed New Zealand director Niki Caro (“Whale Rider,” “McFarland, USA”) with filming happening primarily in New Zealand and China.
This is the first time in a Disney movie for most of those actors and I hope American audiences enjoy being exposed to acting talent from around the world, not just the usual Hollywood A- or B-list. Actors from the continent of Asia are under-represented in the leading roles in Hollywood.
The film will open in U.S. theaters on March 27, 2020