Ang Lee wants Asian to helm live-action ‘Mulan’ film
NEW YORK: Oscar-winning director Ang Lee has voiced his preference for an Asian director to helm the live- action version of Mulan, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Lee was initially tapped to take on the director’s chair, but he had to decline due to his prior commitment to Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. To date, no director has been named for the project.
Online, fans have been petitioning to have Asian actors cast for the live-action adaptation of the movie, previously a hit Disney animation.
Lee remains the favourite to work on the movie, having flawlessly executed martial arts- driven films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as visually- compelling masterpieces such as Life of Pi.
Even though he passed on the project, Lee has suggested that it would be great to see an Asian director doing the live- action version of Mulan.
The script will be penned by Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Jurassic World writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver. Jason Reed, Chris Bender and Jake Weiner are attached to produce the liveaction adaptation.
Collider also reported that Disney will cast Chinese actors for main roles. A global casting search is underway as the studio looks for a Chinese actress who can portray the legendary heroine in the big screen. Disney
The script will be penned by Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Jurassic World writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.
is reportedly fast-tracking the production for Mulan, as it has set its release date to Nov 2, 2018.
Mulan is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, a young girl who disguises herself as a man in order to take his ailing father’s place in the army and go to war. In the 1998 animated film Mulan, the titular character was aided by a spirit dragon named Mushu as she trains to become a skilled warrior before she faces that Hun army and protect China. It was one of Disney’s most successful animated movies, having earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.
Mulan is one of the many liveaction re-tellings coming up from Disney soon. So far Lion King and Jungle Book 2 have been confirmed to go into production very soon.