Donnie Yen Joins Disney’s Live-Action ‘Mulan’

After having previously become the stand-out performer in the Disney-produced Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Donnie Yen has once again been tapped by the House of Mouse to star as Commander Tung in the live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated film Mulan.

Yen’s character serves as a mentor and teacher to Mulan, who will be played by Chinese actress Liu Yifei.

The actor has become a worldwide action sensation thanks to starring as the main character in the Ip Man series, with Ip Man 4 having recently begun production.

In the film, a young girl is fearful that her father will be drafted into the Chinese military, aiming to take his place instead. However, due to the nation’s patriarchal rule, being a woman precludes her from enlisting, with the resourceful girl then pretending to be a man and proving herself to be a fierce warrior.

The original film starred Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, and B.D. Wong.

The adaptation is set to be directed by Niko Caro, who is only the second female director that Disney has enlisted to helm a film with a budget larger than $100 million, with Ava DuVernay being the first with A Wrinkle in Time.

The film will have Bill Kong serving as executive producer, whose iconic films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Monster Hunt.

Mulan is only one of many live-action adaptations of animated Disney classics on the way, as 2016’s The Jungle Book and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast were some of the most ambitious endeavors the studio took on, with both films going on to become some of the most successful films of the year.

Disney has many more live-action adaptations on the way, with Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King all slated to hit theaters next year. Fans can also expect a sequel to The Jungle Book, despite the film not having an official release date.

The studio’s next major release, Avengers: Infinity War, will hit theaters on April 27th.

Mulan is slated to hit theaters on May 27, 2020.

Do you think Yen makes a good addition to the cast? Let us know in the comments below!

[H/T Deadline]