'Mulan' Adds Jason Scott Lee in a Villain Role

It looks like Disney's live-action Mulan has found its most recent foe.

Jason Scott Lee will reportedly be joining the live-action remake, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Lee will be playing Bori Khan, a warrior leader who is intent on avenging his father's death.

Lee has quite a few Disney-adjacent projects under his belt, starring as Mowgli in the 1994 live-action The Jungle Book, portraying Aladdin in Arabian Nights, and voicing David Kawena in Lilo & Stitch. Outside of that, his filmography includes Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story, Back to the Future Part II, and Hawaii Five-O.

Mulan will be directed by Niki Caro, and star Liu Yifei as the film's titular heroine. As fans of the original Disney animated film know, the story sees Mulan disguising herself as a man to join the military, and saving China in the process.

The cast of Mulan will also include Gong Li, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Xana Tang, and Chum Ehelepola.

The film, which is already being dubbed one of the most expensive movies ever made, is expected to film in China and New Zealand later this year. While the project has accumulated a bit of fan backlash - namely, for the lack of beloved love interest Li Shang - it sounds like there's a lot to be excited about with the project.

Even Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Mulan in the original 1998 animated film, has expressed her optimism about the live-action remake, and about Yifei.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Wen said at a convention appearance late last year. "And she's perfect for it. I'm so excited. And she's Chinese! Thank you!"

"Just don't eff it up," Wen added. "But I'd like to think that the animation Mulan still holds a special place in people's hearts, you know? Me and Lea Solanga [Mulan's singing voice] creating this beautiful image with the animators and Disney back in the day, before even CGI was a big thing. It was one of the first CGI animations. I'm very proud of the continued legacy. I hope that they do it justice."

Are you excited to see Jason Scott Lee join Mulan? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Mulan will be released on March 27, 2020.