Disney gives fans a first look at the new live-action ‘Mulan’

Walt Disney Studios just gave film fans a first look at its newest live-action heroine — and she’s no blushing beauty who bats her eyelashes as she waits for a prince to rescue her.

Disney officials recently tweeted the first image of actress Yifei Liu (also known as Crystal Liu) in character as Mulan. Liu will be taking on the role for a live-action remake of the classic 1998 feature film. And based on the image, this Mulan looks tough enough to face any obstacle or critic who gets in her way:

The actress won the role in November 2017 after studio executives considered almost 1,000 performers for the iconic role.

Disney believes they’ve found the perfect actress to play the role of Mulan. With more than two dozen acting credits on IMBd, Liu got her start in China with a variety of feature roles. She began to make a name for herself in the United States with roles in 2008’s “The Forbidden Kingdom” starring Jackie Chan and Jet Lo, in 2014’s “Outcast” with Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen and in 2017’s “The Chinese Widow.”

The story of Mulan is based on an ancient Chinese ballad about a girl named Hua Mulan, a young girl who decided to take the place of her aging father in her country’s army during the Hun invasion. Her bravery and actions helped her become one of the country’s most honored soldiers.

This latest version of  “Mulan,” scheduled with a release date of March 27, 2020, is one in a series of Disney movies that takes classic animated films and brings them to the big screen with live actors. Over the past few years, Walt Disney Studios has enjoyed success with other live-action remakes including “Cinderella,” “The Jungle Book” and “Beauty and The Beast.”

Are you excited to see “Mulan” in its live-action update?