Director Niki Caro is in talks with Disney to bring “Mulan” back to the big screen. The critically-acclaimed director will helm the live action adaptation of the 1998 animated classic.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Caro was not Disney’s first choice. The studio initially sought to find to an Asian director to direct the live-action film about a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to join the Imperial Army. After approaching a few filmmakers (including Ang Lee), Disney settled on Caro. Praised for her gender inclusive sets, Caro will become one of the first women at the studio to direct a big budget movie (following closely behind Ava DuVernay who is currently helming “A Wrinkle In Time“).
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This will not be Caro’s first film with Disney. The studio previously worked with the director on the 2015 sports drama “McFarland USA.” Caro, who is originally from New Zealand, first broke out onto the scene with her Oscar-nominated film “Whale Rider.” While “Mulan” could take her out of the running, the New Zealand director recently made the shortlist of directors for “Captain Marvel,” which will be Marvel Studio’s first female-fronted superhero film.
To ensure cultural authenticity, Disney and producers are working closely with cultural consultants and the Disney team that’s based in China. The studio announced that casting for the roles will be focused in China. This includes none other than the lady warrior herself, Mulan.
The upcoming live-movie is set to be released on November 2, 2018. Caro’s latest film, “The Zookeeper’s Wife“ starring actress Jessica Chastain, hits theatres this March.
