Filming has begun on Disney’s latest live-action fairytale, or folktale in this case. It’s Mulan, based on the Chinese legend that was memorably adapted into a $300M hit animated movie in 1998. Disney has dropped the first image of star Liu Yifei, looking like she’s ready to jump right into battle.
Yifeil takes the titular role in the film directed by Whale Rider’s Niki Caro. She’ll be joined by Jet Li, who she starred with in 2008’s The Forbidden Kingdom, plus Donnie Yen (Rogue One), Jason Scott Lee (Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story), Yoson An (The Meg), Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha), Utkarsh Ambudkar (Basmati Blues), and more.
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.
Nothing in there about it being a musical, and the press release included with the image fails to list any songwriters. That’ll be a disappointment to fans who loved the animated movie’s Oscar-nomninated soundtrack.
Mulan hits theaters on March 27th 2020.
