Disney Launches Search To Cast Their Live-Action “Mulan”

The highly-anticipated 3D flick is due to hit theaters in 2018!

From Maleficent to The Jungle Book, Disney’s been crushing it when it comes to producing live-action adaptations of their classic animated films. And now it’s Mulan’s time to shine! The House of Mouse just announced that the 1998 classic will be its latest reboot. YAY!

And the even better news? The studio announced that they’re launching a global casting search to find the right Chinese actress for the part. This might not seem like such big news at first, but Hollywood has a long history of casting white actors to represent iconic roles that were traditionally filled by people of different races and nationalities. Most recently, Scarlett Johansson nabbed the lead role in a live action remake of Japanese animation Ghost in the Shell. It’s about time that Hollywood began to reflect the world around us in their casting choices, so Disney’s latest casting choice is a much-needed one.

Mulan is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan and tells the story of a young girl who disguises herself as a man in order to take her sick father’s place in the army. The movie is set for release in 2018, which is exactly 20 years after the release of the original animated version, and we simply cannot wait. 

Fun fact: A then-unknown teenager, Christina Aguilera, provided the vocals for “Reflection” and the song became her debut single: