Walt Disney Pictures has dated its live-action “Mulan” retelling for Nov. 2, 2018. In addition to dating the pic, “Jurassic World” and “Avatar” sequel scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver have come on to rewrite script.
The two came on board in 2015 to rewrite the spec by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin.
The film has been fast-tracked into production with Jason Reed attached to produce along with Chris Bender and Jake Weiner.
A director has yet to be announced. A global casting search will soon be underway to find a Chinese actress for the role of Mulan.
The studio’s emphasis on live-action comes after the success of “Maleficent” and “Cinderella,” and next year’s “Beauty and the Beast” is already one of the most anticipated movies of 2017. The first “Beauty and the Beast” teaser trailer in May was viewed a record 91.8 million times in its first 24 hours, besting “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The movie, starring Emma Watson, Luke Evans, and Dan Stevens, will be released on March 17.
The original 1998 film featured the voices of Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, and BD Wong in the English version, with Jackie Chan providing his voice for Chinese dubs of the movie. It grossed $304 million worldwide.