Disney’s live-action remake of “Mulan” is set to be released next year and according to some recent rumors the company may still be doing some casting. New reports have surfaced that Disney is considering Kevin Hart to give Mulan’s sidekick dragon Mushu a voice.
According to The DisInsider, the live-action “Mulan” film has wrapped production, but as the film goes into the editing process, Disney is still looking for a voice for Mushu with Hart being their top choice.
In the original 1998 “Mulan” animated film, Mushu is a small, kind of scrawny red Chinese dragon who may be the comic relief in the film, but also serves as Mulan’s closest companion. Eddie Murphy provided Mushu’s voice in the film, though Mark Moseley took over voicing duties for the 2004 direct-to-video sequel, Mulan II.
Thus far, Mushu has not appeared in any official information about the live-action film — including the full synopsis which you can see below that was revealed last August.
Mulan is the epic adventure of a fearless young woman who masquerades as a man in order to fight Northern Invaders attacking China. The eldest daughter of an honored warrior, Hua Mulan is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. When the Emperor issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army, she steps in to take the place of her ailing father as Hua Jun, becoming one of China’s greatest warriors ever.
If Disney is really considering putting Hart in the role, it’s a move that could be met with some backlash. Back in December, Hart stepped down as the host for the 2019 Academy Awards following old tweets in which he made derogatory remarks about the LGBTQ+ community came to light. Hart apologized for the tweets, but still stepped down from the hosting duties.
“Mulan” is directed by Niki Caro (Whale Rider, McFarland USA) from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Jurassic World, In the Heart of the Sea) and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek based on the narrative poem The Ballad of Mulan. The producers are Jason T. Reed (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Chris Bender (A History of Violence) and Jake Weiner (Criminal) with Barrie M. Osborne (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Bill Kong (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Monster Hunt) and Tim Coddington (Crazy Rich Asians) serving as executive producers.
Disney’s Mulan is set to hit theaters on March 27, 2020.