Mulan is considered to be one of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ crown jewels and given Disney’s success with their live-action adaptations of their animated classics, it only makes sense that they look towards turning 1998’s Mulan into a live-action film. However, instead of following in the footsteps of other films that merely retell the original story, like Cinderella and Beauty and The Beast,Mulan will be depicted as a large-scale epic that sees the titular character (played by Liu Yifei) do anything to protect the family that she loves, even if it means disguising herself as a man so that her ailing father does not have to go to war.
Check out our coverage of the film from this weekend’s D23 Expo here below.
Disney’s Mulan remains one of their best animated features during their renaissance. Based on a Chinese folktale, the animated film followed a young female who disguised herself as a male soldier in order to join the army so that her ailing father would not have to go.
Now with Disney turning their animated classics into live-action films, it was only a matter of time before they looked to Mulan.
Directed by Niki Caro, the live-action version stars Yifei Liu as the title star who will defend the honor of her family and become one of the most noble soldiers in the Chinese army. Check out the trailer here below.
Following the news that Donnie Yen has joined the cast of Disney’s live-action take on Mulan, comes word that Jet Li and Gong Li are also joining the cast.
However, their roles show that director Niki Caro is deviating from the animated original. More on who they will play, below.
I continue to be impressed with what Disney is able to offer with the live-action adaptations of their animated classics. New castings and hiring directors have always impressed me. And now the latest news is nothing short of that.
Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, IP Man) will now be in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Mulan. Directed by Niki Caro, the film stars Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, as the title character. Find out who Yen will be playing in the full story below.
Disney has reinvigorated their live-action division by taking some of their classic animated titles and turning them into live-action films. It’s a model that has proven to be very lucrative for the franchise as they release one hit after another, with their most recent hit, Beauty and the Beast grossing $1.2 billion worldwide. The studio is well into the development of live-action adaptations like Aladdin, Dumbo, and Mulan, which has now found its lead star.
According to new reports, Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, will play Mulan in the live-action adaptation set to be directed by Niki Caro. More on the story below.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press