After first signingNiki Caro(Whale Rider) to direct back in February 2017, Disney’s live-actionMulanis now finally moving towards a production start-date. After a lengthy search for the lead,Liu Yifei(The Forbidden Kingdom) was cast in the titular role in November, and yesterdayDonnie Yensigned on to play Mulan’s mentor Commander Tung. NowTHRreports thatJet LiandGong Lihave joined the cast as well, with Gong Li filling the villain role in what marks a major departure from the 1998 animated film.
Chinese actress Gong Li is one of the country’s finest actresses with standout roles in films likeThe Story of Qui JuandFarewell My Concubine, as well as American productionsMemoirs of a GeishaandMiami Vice. ForMulan, Gong Li will be playing the villain of the movie, a powerful witch. This is a major change from the animated film, in which the primary antagonist was Shan Yu, leader of the invading Huns. This suggests a supernatural aspect to this live-action version of the story, and it’ll be interesting to see how this alters the story structure of the film as a whole.
Jet Li, meanwhile, has been a veteran for years with standout roles in films ranging fromShaolin TempletoRomeo Must DietoThe Expendablesmovies. InMulan, he’ll be playing the emperor of China, who orders the mobilization of troops via the conscription of one male from each household. This is the film’s inciting event as Hua Mulan then disguises herself as a man in order to spare her father from certain death.
Additionally, Chinese-Vienamese actressXana Tangwill play Mulan’s sister in the movie, as casting heats up in anticipation of a filming start date in August. Production will take place in China and New Zealand.
While some were concerned whenMulanwas first announced, it very much looks as though Disney is not simply casting a Chinese actress in the lead role, but casting Chinese performers in almostallthe major roles. The process isn’t yet done and it’ll be interesting to see if the studio brings in an A-list Hollywood star to play a sidekick or something, but so far this is all very encouraging.
Mulanopens in theaters on August 10, 2025. For a complete list of all Disney’s upcoming live-action remakes,click here.
