Oscar winner Ang Lee turns down offer to helm Disney's “Mulan”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Oscar winner Ang Lee was one of the names who emerged as potential directors for "Mulan". However, as AceShowbiz said citing The Hollywood Reporter, the "Life of Pi" director has passed on the chance to sit behind the lens for Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of the 1998 animated hit.

The studio is on a fast track to make the movie which is slated to be released in U.S. theaters on November 2, 2018. They are moving quickly to lock down a director, ideally an Asian one, according to the site. Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver ("Jurassic World", "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes") are on board to pen the screenplay.

Recently, an open letter was addressed to Disney to not cast a white actor after an early draft, written by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek, revealed that it was an European guy who defeated the primary enemy of China, not Mulan. However, a source with knowledge of the situation said, "Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all of the primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese."

Another studio, Sony, is also developing a live-action adaptation based on the same Chinese ballad. The studio is looking for an Asian director for the project which is expected to feature a predominantly Asian cast. Though it is said to be in very early development, "Mirror Mirror" scribe Jason Keller is already on board to pen the script for the movie which will reportedly hit theaters long after Disney's version.

"Mulan" follows a young woman who disguises herself as a man so she can take her father's place in the army and go to war. With the help of her trusty dragon sidekick Mushu, she becomes a skilled warrior and, eventually, one of the country's greatest heroines.