First Look At Disney's Live-Action Mulan

Disney announced that it has started production on the live-action adaptation of its 1998 animated classic Mulan. To mark the occasion, it released the first promotional photo of its star, Liu Yifei (Once Upon a Time, The Forbidden Kingdom) in the title role, brandishing a sword.

Yifei is joined by a who's who of Asian and Asian-American actors, including Donnie Yen (Star Wars: Rogue One), Jet Li (Shaolin Temple), Gong Li (Memoirs of a Geisha), Jason Scott Lee (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny), Yoson An (The Meg), and many more. It will open in US theaters on March 27, 2020.

Mulan tells the tale of a young woman who poses as a man to protect her father from conscription into the Chinese army, which is battling a dangerous army of northern invaders. We've seen some indication that this live-action version will differ from the animated movie. Gong Li is playing a new character, a powerful witch who appears to be this film's primary antagonist. Jet Li is playing the Emperor of China, which could mean we'll see him play a more action-oriented role than the wizened elder of the animated original.

Mulan joins several Disney properties that recently have been adapted or will be soon. Maleficent, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and Beauty and the Beast have already been released. Meanwhile the studio has plans for a live-action Lion King, Aladdin, Cruella based on 101 Dalmations, and Tink based on the Peter Pan character.