Disney Casts 'Mulan' Love Interest (Exclusive)

Yoson An, from New Zealand, will play Chen Honghui in Disney's live-action movie.
Andi Crown
Yoson An

Disney's Mulan has cast Mulan's love interest: Yoson An, who hails from New Zealand.

The rising star, who is of Chinese descent, will star opposite Liu Yifei (also known as Crystal Liu), who is playing the titular heroine Hua Mulan, who disguises herself as a man in order to spare her elderly father from having to join the military.

An will play Chen Honghui, a confident and ambitious recruit who joins Commander Tung’s unit. He becomes Mulan's most important ally and eventual love interest. (This character differs from Li Shang, the Chinese army captain who was the main love interest in the animated film.)

Disney has made good on its plan to cast a primarily Chinese cast for their new film. The live-action movie already has several big Chinese names onboard, including Jet Li, who is playing the emperor of China, and Gong Li ,who is playing the story's main villain, a poweful witch. Donnie Yen also signed on to play Mulan's mentor, Commander Tung.

Additionally, THR can exclusively report that Chum Ehelepola has been cast in the role of Ramtish in the film. He and Skatch (Utkarsh Ambudkar) play a duo in the film. The actor’s previous credits include Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, AMC’s Lodge 49 and Crackle's Sequestered. He is repped by TCA Mgmt, Affirmative Entertainment, Mollison Keightley Management and Bloom Hergott.

Niki Caro is directing the film, which is set for release March 27, 2020. It's slated to start shooting in August in China and New Zealand.

Disney's 1998 animated version, voice-starring Ming-Na Wen alongside Eddie Murphy and B.D. Wong, brought in $304.3 million at the global box office and also earned Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations.

Playing Chen Honghui will likely be a breakout role for An, whose previous credits include HBO Asia series Grace and upcoming shark thriller The Meg. He will also be seen in Universal’s Mortal Engines, which hits theaters in December. He’s repped by Auckland Actors in New Zealand and Silver Lining Entertainment.

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