Mulan live action remake: When is the new Disney movie released and what do we know so far?
8 July 2019, 10:49 | Updated: 8 July 2019, 10:56
Who's in the cast of the new Mulan remake, what is the plot and will it feature the original soundtrack?
Disney has already turned some of our favourite cartoons into big-budget Hollywood remakes.
But along with the likes of Aladdin (2019) and Maleficent (2014) and Alice and Wonderland (2010), now Mulan is about to get the same dramatic treatment.
The 1998 Disney classic is based on a Chinese legend of Hua Mulan and follows a girl who impersonates a man in order to join the Chinese military.
Accompanied by her dragon, Mushu, she helps ward off a Hun invasion, all while falling in love with a dashing captain along the way.
But it looks like there will be a few big changes to the upcoming remake, so here’s everything you need to know…
When is it released?
According to reports, Mulan is due to be released on March 27, 2020.
It was originally due to debut in December last year, but was pushed back and is thought to now be in the post-production stage.
Who’s in the cast?
Back in November 2017, actress Liu Yifei was cast as the movie's heroine Mulan. The China-born star has previously starred in films such as The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) and Outcast (2014).
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It was also reported that the film won’t include Mulan’s hunky love interest Li Shang from the original film.
Instead, audiences will be introduced to a new character called Chen Honghui who becomes close to Mulan during her time in the military.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, he’ll be played by New Zealand-based actor Yoson An.
Mulan’s mentor Commander Tung will be played by Chinese actor Donnie Yen who you might recognise from Disney's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016).
While there are still very few details about the film, according to Deadline, Utkarsh Ambudkar will play a con artist named Skath and Ron Yuan will play a commander in the Imperial Regiment, Sergeant Qiang.
Utkarsh was actually one of the Treblemakers from 2012 musical Pitch Perfect, while Ron is currently appearing on American TV series Siren.
The Hollywood Reporter reports that actress Gong Li will play the film's villain, having previously starred in Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) and Hannibal Rising (2007).
What is the storyline?
While the film - directed by Niki Caro - will still keep the original plot of Mulan joining the army to keep her father from coming to harm, there are a few changes.
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Unlike the animated film, Mulan's love interest will no longer be Captain Li Shang, but will now be a fellow soldier Chen Honghui.
Mulan also has a new mentor in the form of Commander Tung, and a con-artist duo have also joined the cast.
Another huge change is the addition of Mulan’s sister, set to be played by Xana Tang as well as an evil witch.
Speaking about the essence of the film, director Nick recently told MovieFone: "It's a big, girly martial arts epic. It will be extremely muscular and thrilling and entertaining and moving.”
Will it include the original songs?
To the horror of children everywhere, it looks like music from the original classic might not feature at all.
Instead, a report from The Insider claims “the songs will not be sung by the cast as the music is just instrumentals.”
Is there a trailer?
Yes, the trailer was released on July 7.
