Chinese actress Liu Yifei to star in Disney's live-action Mulan


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It took a year of searching and nearly 1,000 candidates, but the Walt Disney Studios has found its Mulan.


The studio says Wednesday that Chinese actress Liu Yifei, who spent part of her childhood in New York, will play the warrior in the live-action epic from director Niki Caro.


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The 30-year-old actress, who is also known as Crystal Liu, is well known in China as a model, actress and singer, but less so stateside.


She has appeared in films like The Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan, Outcast with Nicolas Cage and, more recently, opposite Emile Hirsch in a period romance entitled The Chinese Widow that opened this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival and in the Chinese fantasy romance Once Upon a Time this summer.


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Liu, who spent part of her childhood in New York, has starred in both English- and Chinese-language films over the years. (Tungstar/Associated Press)


Disney says the story will be inspired by its animated film from 1998, which saw actor Ming-Na voice the lead role, and The Ballad of Mulan. The ancient folk tale recounts the story of Hua Mulan, who hid her identity and gender to serve in the Chinese army to spare her aged father and younger brother from fighting.


Bill Kong, who has produced films like House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is executive producing the film. It is expected to hit theatres in 2019.


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Amid a wave of criticism at Hollywood for “whitewashing” roles, Disney casting directors reportedly focused on finding an ethnically Chinese young woman for Mulan, visiting five continents and reviewing nearly 1,000 candidates. 



Article source: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/rohingya-challenge-pope-francis-silence-myanmar-171130164008316.html

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