The good news is that one of our favorite Disney films is getting a live-action update. The bad news is the nagging fear that producers will cast someone like Hailee Steinfeld in the role of Chinese warrior Fa Mulan.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, 1998's Mulan is the latest Disney film to be remade into a live-action film, following the success of Cinderella and the buzz over the Emma Watson-starring Beauty and the Beast. The film's script was written by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek, while Chris Bender and J.C. Spink of We're the Millers (hmm) will produce.
We're always happy to have a story about an empowering woman out there, but the challenge Disney now faces is making sure the casting accurately represents the story. Films like Exodus: Gods and Kings and the upcoming Pan missed the boat by casting white actors to play non-white characters. This is an opportunity to give Asian performers their due, so we hope the likes of Zhang Ziyi, Fan Bingbing, and Constance Wu get some consideration. And, can we please get some love for Daniel Dae Kim or Steven Yeun (acknowledging that they're both of South Korean rather than Chinese descent)?
Bring it on, Disney. Just don't screw it up.
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