Keeping track of all of Disney’s upcoming live-action reboots is exhausting to stay the least. One major news item broke today on Disney’s fast-tracked, live-action re-imagining of their 1998 animated hit Mulan; the in the form a release date. Disney is aiming to open the movie in theaters on November 2, 2018, and will be released in 3-D. This news before the announcement of a director or any casting confirmation. Disney is, reportedly, in the process of starting a worldwide casting search for the young Chinese actress who will portray the title character.
Mulan, which earned upwards of $300 million at the worldwide box office when it opened in the summer of 1998, takes it bearing from the famed Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, the daughter of revered but aging warrior. Armed with dragon accomplice Mushu, Mulan (disguised as a man) took the place of her father in went to war, returning a warrior in her own right. The animated feature – directed by Tony Bancroft (upcoming animated entry Bunyan and Babe) and Barry Cook (Arthur Christmas) – featured the vocal talents of Ming Na-Wen, BD Wong, George Takei and Eddie Murphy.
The upcoming live-action reboot of the film joins a large collection of like-minded projects that the Mouse House has mined from their animated canon. The most recently released entry was this past spring’s blockbuster The Jungle Book, which was directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man). Future reboots are in the pipeline including next year’s Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as well as the just announced The Lion King (also to be directed by Favreau). Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (Jurassic World) are currently aboard to pen the screenplay; a spec script for the reboot was penned by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin with the intention that the live-action update will further combine the Chinese legend with the Disney animated film.
Mulan is set to hit screens on November 2, 2018.
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