Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and Gong Li have all been cast in live-action remake of Mulan!
A Chinese emperor, a mentor, and a villainous witch.
While Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan may not star Jennifer Lawrence or Matt Damon, it will at least have Donnie Yen, Jet Li, and Gong Li. Not too shabby.
Last November, Disney announced that Chinese actress Liu Yifei (刘亦菲) will play the titular heroine following a year-long casting search that involved nearly 1,000 candidates in five different continents around the world.
While Liu may not have much star power outside of China, the same can not be said of martial arts legends Donnie Yen and Jet Li, who most recently starred together in Jack Ma’s personal kung fu flick.
Meanwhile, Gong Li is one of China’s most famous and revered actresses, beginning with her roles in classic films like Red Sorghum, Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, Farewell My Concubine, and To Live. Her later English-language roles include Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Miami Vice (2006), and Hannibal Rising (2007).
Gong Li will reportedly take on a newly-created role in the film as a villainous witch. Meanwhile, Donnie Yen will play Mulan’s mentor, Commander Tung, and Jet Li has been cast as the Chinese emperor.
Based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, which can be traced back to the 6th century, Mulan is the story of a girl who disguises herself as a man to serve in her father’s place in the war against the Huns. While the live-action adaption of the Disney classic was announced back in 2015, it wasn’t accompanied by any mention of specific cast members. Fans feared that Disney planned to “whitewash” the Chinese legend, particularly after a satirical tweet that Jennifer Lawrence had won the role was taken as real news.
The live-action Mulan adaption will be directed by Niki Caro, a New Zealand-born director who most recently oversaw The Zookeeper’s Wife. It’s set to hit theaters on March 27th, 2020.
