Disney has found a lead for its live-action ‘Mulan‘. Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is set to star in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the classic Chinese tale.
In its search to find the film’s star, the studio was determined that the actress was young and of Chinese decent. Disney auditioned thousands of individuals for the role. The newcomer will star as Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to take her father’s army conscription in fifth-century China.
Following a worldwide search, the studio announced the casting Wednesday. Stemming from Disney’s trend of adapting its library of animated classics as live-action feature films, following the successes of “Maleficent,” “Cinderella,” “The Jungle Book,” and, most recently, “Beauty and the Beast,” which is currently 2017’s biggest box office hit. The studio is now shooting “Dumbo,” with Tim Burton directing and Colin Farrell starring.
According to IMDb, Yifei is 30 years old and started her career at an extremely young age, beginning modeling when she was just 8 years old and acting in Chinese TV shows. She lived in Queens, New York for part of her childhood and she’s fluent in English, which should come in handy for the movie. She has also acted as a brand ambassador for some of the biggest names in beauty: Dior, Tissot, Garnier, and Pantene.
Niki Caro (The Zookeeper’s Wife) will direct this new take on Mulan, which is inspired by both the 1998 animated film and the centuries-old folktale. The film is based on a script initially penned by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek and rewritten by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.