Disney is in high gear when it comes to doing live-action remakes of their animated, with movies like ALADDIN, THE LION KING (though not exactly traditional live-action) and MULAN. The casts have been fleshed out for the first two, and the latter has just cast it’s leading role of Mulan, with Chinese actress Liu Yifei winning the part.
THR got the scoop that the actress, also known as Crystal Liu, won the part after casting directors looked at over 1,000 potential stars. The requirements for the role included skills in martial arts, the ability to speak English, and a star power that can cross between China and America. Yifei has rocketed to fame in China over the years, and may even be familiar to American audiences through her work in the martial arts epic, THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM with Jackie Chan and Jet Li (she is pictured in the movie above).
As for MULAN, Yifei will play Hua Mulan, a young girl who disguises herself as a man to join the Chinese army in the fifth century. No word on who else has been cast yet, but actor Eddie Murphy voiced the part of the little dragon Mushu in the original animated version. This new film is being directed by THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE helmer Niki Caro and is eyeing a 2019 release.
I didn’t know Yifiei’s name when I heard it, but once I looked back and saw she was in FORBIDDEN KINGDOM I remembered her quite well. She held her own against vets Chan and Lei incredibly well, and she has the chops to take on a lead role like this. It will surely be a massive gig for her, as the last live-action remake, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST raked in $1.2 billion worldwide. In other prepare to hear the name Liu Yifei a lot more in the future.
MULAN is aiming for a 2019 release.
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