Niki Caro to direct Disney's live-action 'Mulan'

A file photo of lead characters from Disney's 1998 animated feature of "Mulan." [Photo / China.org.cn]

There was early controversy when a spec script initially purchased by Disney said that the first draft features a "30-something European trader" who helps defend China after falling for Mulan. Disney has clarified that, "Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese."

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "Jurassic World" screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are rewriting Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek's screenplay.

The studio is having a casting search to find Chinese actors in China.

"Mulan" tells a story of Hua Mulan, a legendary woman warrior from the Southern and Northern Dynasties period (420–589) of Chinese history, who was originally described in a ballad known as the "Ballad of Mulan."

In the legend, Hua Mulan takes her aged father's place in the army, pretending to be a male soldier, as women were not allowed to be soldiers. She fought for twelve years and gained high merit, but she refused any reward and retired to her hometown instead.

There are many film and TV adaptations about the story. One of the most famous was Disney's animation in 1998, which grossed US$304 million worldwide and earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations as well as winning several Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature.

The new "Mulan" is set for release on Nov. 2, 2018, 20 years after Disney's animated version hit theaters. But it will have a rival project, as Sony Pictures will also do their own "Mulan" film with "Game of Thrones" director Alex Graves.