Jan De Bont, remember him? He wowed Hollywood with his one-two punch of “Twister” and “Speed” and then found himself pretty much exiled after the trifecta of flops, “Speed 2: Cruise Control,” “The Haunting” and “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life.”
Well he’s back, and while Hollywood still won’t have him, international producers are hoping his action credentials can help make a spectacular live action version of “Mulan” with Zhang Ziyi to take on the lead role.
The story, perhaps most best known to North American audiences via the Disney animated film, tells the tale of “Hua Mulan, the legendary young heroine soldier who joins an all-male army.” The film is set to begin its lengthy production this month in Shanghai and will wrap in January. No word yet what the budget will be, but rumors of a $100 million pricetag have been denied. [THR]
