There should be no shortage of US/Chinese co-productions these days with the longstanding popularity of Asian film lore also a factor. If anything, there’s even more potential than before to take what once might have been standalone films and turn them into sprawling 3.4-part serial movie epics similar to female-centric YA actioners like Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games and The Divergent Series franchises to name a few.
With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Disney grants the same treatment to their newly announced live-action revamp of the 1998 animated musical action adventure, Mulan. THR reports that screenwriters Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek have been brought on board with producers Chris Miller and J.C. Spink to furbish a live-action telling based on the film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook which told the story of a young woman who takes her father’s place in the Chinese army and ultimately becomes the country’s greatest heroine. At the time of its release, Mulan raked in more than $304 million dollars globally for Disney and gained notoriety between several Golden Globe and Acadamy Award nods before moving forward with a homeward-bound sequel; Both films are the latest iteration of the title character inspired by following ancient poems, plays and other written works that collectively date as far back as the 6th century before the Tang Dynasty.
With the momentum Disney seems to be gaining these days from turning their animated classics into live-action reboots, Mulan is sure to fire up fans of Asian cinema, and depending on how this one does, it may very well become the sprawling multi-film epic one may hope for. Mini talking dragon friends and all.
Stay tuned!