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Stephen Tilley/Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Fans were thrilled when Disney announced in 2015 that it planned to produce a live-action adaptation of Mulan, though they were worried that the studio might wind up whitewashing the titular heroine. After a petition over the handling of casting reached over 100,000 signatures, Disney announced that the title role would most definitely be Chinese and they'd be hosting a global casting call for the role. (Liu Yifei eventually won the role.) In 2016, however, an anonymous open letter posted to AngryAsianMan.com alleged that the spec script bought by Disney for the adaptation featured a European trader who decided to "help the Chinese Imperial Army...because he sets eyes on Mulan" and eventually "gets the honor of defeating the primary enemy of China, not Mulan." Naturally, people weren't thrilled. Quickly, Vulture ran quotes from "a source close to the film" who assured that the film, which Disney had re-written by new writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, would feature an Asian love interest.
"The spec script was a jumping-off point for a new take on the story that draws from both the literary ballad of Mulan and Disney's 1998 animated film," the source told the outlet. "Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese."
While it remains to be seen whether or not the film, due in theaters march 27, 2020, will feature any of the original's beloved music, fans can rest assured the cast is exclusively Asian and includes legends like Jet Li and Gong Li.