"Mulan" is set to receive a remake soon, with a live action remake of the 1998 animated film now confirmed to be in pre-production by Disney which will arrive in the latter part of 2018, more than 20 years after the original musical film released.
Entertainment Weekly reported the news, as shared by Gamespot, that the live action remake of "Mulan" is now official. The film is now in the casting process for its main character, with her animated version in the Disney's 1998 "Mulan" voiced by Ming-Na Wen with singing vocals provided by Lea Salonga.
The live action "Mulan" film will arrive on Nov. 2, 2018, and will be released with 3D features according to Disney's announcement. New further news as of yet, like the director or other staff on the film, but some details of the casting for the lead part of Fa Mulan herself have been released.
Interestingly, Disney is specifically looking for a Chinese actress to play the lead part for the live action "Mulan," with the casting search extending globally. The effort to cast an ethnically-correct actress for the part is likely due to the increasing criticisms against Hollywood for whitewashing the characters of its film adaptations of works originating in Asia or otherwise characters that should be of a different ethnicity.
One of the most recent examples of race-lifting in film is the upcoming "Ghost in the Shell" live action film, with the Japanese Major Motoko Kusanagi played by the Caucasian Scarlett Johansson. Other examples include 2009's "Dragonball Evolution" and 2010's "The Last Airbender," so it seems like Disney is going to lengths to try and avoid the problem with the 2018 live action "Mulan" film.
As a remake of the 1998 film, Disney's 2018 live action "Mulan" will likely follow the same story as a retelling of the classic Chinese folklore heroic figure Hua Mulan. Disney's 1998 animated "Mulan" changed the character's name to Fa Mulan, and told of her story in joining the Chinese imperial army despite being a woman in order to protect her ailing father.
The 1998 animated "Mulan" film was very different entry into Disney' animated works, with herself becoming a Disney Princess despite embodying none of the more traditional aspects of the title. The 2018 "Mulan" will likely follow the same direction in the character's portrayal.
