Niki Caro is in talks to direct Disney‘s live-action adaptation of the animated classic “Mulan,” sources confirmed to Variety.
“Jurassic World” and “Avatar” sequel scribes Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver came on board in 2015 to rewrite the spec by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin.
The film has been fast-tracked into production with Jason Reed attached to produce along with Chris Bender and Jake Weiner. Hong Kong-based producer Bill Kong will executive produce the movie, which is set to bow on Nov. 2, 2018.
The studio’s emphasis on live-action reboots follows the successes of “Maleficent” (2014) and “Cinderella” (2015), while “Beauty and the Beast” is already one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The first official “Beauty and the Beast” trailer in November scored a record 127.6 million views in its first 24 hours. The movie, starring Emma Watson, Luke Evans, and Dan Stevens, will be released on March 17.
The English-language version of the original “Mulan” (1998) featured the voices of Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, and BD Wong, while Jackie Chan provided his voice for Chinese dubs of the movie. It grossed $304 million worldwide.
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Caro is best known for directing the critically acclaimed “Whale Rider,” which earned then-newcomer Keisha Castle-Hughes an Oscar nomination. She has been on Disney’s radar recently for the “Captain Marvel” directing gig. Script work is still being done on “Captain Marvel” so the studio brought Caro in to gauge her interest in “Mulan,” and both parties had the same vision for the remake.
Caro most recently directed “The Zookeeper’s Wife” with Jessica Chastain. She is repped by UTA and Artists House.
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