Star Wars: Rogue One Actor Signs On For Disney's Live-Action Mulan Remake

In November last year it was announced that Chinese actress Liu Yifei will play the title role in Disney's upcoming adaptation of the animated favorite Mulan. It has now been reported that she will be joined by martial arts superstar and Star Wars: Rogue One actor Donnie Yen.

According to Deadline, Yen will play Commander Tung, who is a mentor and teacher to Mulan. This is Yen's second major role for Disney after he played blind warrior Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One. He is also one of the biggest stars in China and Hong Kong, and is known for the hugely Ip Man series as well as movies such as Iron Monkey and Hero.

Mulan is scheduled to hit theaters on March 27, 2020 and is directed by Niki Caro, who is best known for the acclaimed drama Whale Rider. It will combine the story of the 1998 animated film with the tale of the legendary Hua Mulan, who impersonated a man to fight against a Hun invasion in the 4th Century.

In 2016, it was reported that Disney was deliberately seeking an all-Asian cast, to avoid the accusations of "white-washing" that have been levelled at a number of high-profile movies lately. The anime adaptation Ghost in the Shell was criticised for casting Scarlett Johansson in the lead role, while actor Ed Skrein quit the upcoming reboot of Hellboy after learning that the role he had taken was Asian in the Hellboy comic books.

Mulan is just one of several live-action remakes of classic Disney movies currently in development. New versions of The Lion King and Aladdin are expected in 2019, with Dumbo, Pinocchio, and The Jungle Book 2 also in the works.