‘Mulan’ Is Disney’s Next Live-Action Adventure
Following the critical and commercial success of Cinderella, Disney is having a field day developing live-action versions of their beloved animated classics. In addition to Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book, Tim Burton’s Dumbo and the upcoming Beauty and the Beast, the studio is already planning on giving another one of its beloved properties the live-action treatment, and it’s one you might be pretty excited about: Mulan.
According to THR, Mulan will be Disney’s next live-action outing, which is exciting for a couple of reasons: First, Disney only has a few leading ladies of color, so it’s always great for the studio to offer more diversity. Second, Mulan is kind of a badass — imagine all the great (live) action we’ll get to see on the big screen when Disney re-tells her story.
Based on a real Chinese legend, Mulan tells the story of Fa Mulan, a young girl who bravely disguises herself as a male soldier named Ping in order to take her father’s place in the Imperial Army in order to protect him. Fretting for the safety of Mulan, her family prays to their ancestors for assistance, and a small dragon named Mushu is sent to assist Mulan on her perilous quest. It’s a great story about bravery, sacrifice and the value of family, and while Mulan isn’t technically Disney Princess, she holds a special place alongside the more traditional animated leading ladies.
Following the commercial success of Maleficent and Cinderella, Disney has a good thing going by reviving these stories for a new generation and doubling down on their classic cinematic brand.
Disney currently has a handful of live-action projects on their slate, including Favreau’s The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, a sequel to Alice and Wonderland, and a new version of Dumbo from Tim Burton. Meanwhile, Universal has taken a tip from the studio, with Sofia Coppola reportedly set to direct a live-action version of The Little Mermaid.