Disney has hit the green light on the live-action adaption of the classic animated hit "Mulan." The movie project, which is currently launching a global casting call for a Chinese actress to play the lead heroine, has been set for a 2018 release date.
Following the success of "Maleficent," "Cinderella" and more recently, "The Jungle Book." Disney has set its eyes on another animated title to be remade into a live-action movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver have been tapped to re-write a "Mulan" spec script Disney bought from Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin in 2015.
Moreover, the said spec script is the "jumping off point" for a "more nuance and elaborate adaptation" which reportedly combines 1998 animated release with the original Chinese story about Hua Mulan.
Jason Reed, Chris Bender and Jake Weiner are attached to co-produce. The director for the film, however, has yet been confirmed.
Production for the movie is being fast-track and is expected to his theaters on Nov. 2, 2018 with a 3D release.
"Mulan" is based from a Chinese legend about a female heroine named Hua Mulan in the Han Dynasty. She is the daughter of a mighty warrior who pretends to be a man in order to fight the Huns and prevent them from invading China.
In the 1998 animated movie, Mulan disguises himself as a man so that he can take his ailing father's place and go to war. He is accompanied by a dragon named Mushu, who helps Mulan as she trains in the army.
The film featured the vocal talents of Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong and Miguel Ferrer, Variety reported. Jackie Chan, on the other hand, lent his voice for the Chinese dub of the movie.
Worldwide, the 1998 "Mulan" film grossed $304 million. The original motion picture soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, but lost to "Shakespeare in Love". Among the album's hits was "Reflection." sung by Christina Aguilera, which peaked at number 19 in the Billboard Singles Chart.
