Published On:Sunday, 19 February 2017
Posted by ARAB GAZETTE. weekly newspaper issued on Sunday morning - London, UNITED KINGDOMمؤسسة الوطن العربى الإعلامية - لندن ، المملكة المتحدة . WA MEDIA FOUNDATION - LONDON, UK
Mulan : Niki Caro to direct Disney's live action remake
Mulan : Niki Caro to direct Disney's live action remake
ARAB GAZETTE - By Steven McIntosh
The live-action remake of Disney's classic Mulan now has a director and her name is Niki Caro.
You may not recognise her, but she is very quickly climbing the Hollywood ladder, having directed films such as Whale Rider (2002) and the soon-to-be released The Zookeeper's Wife.
Her new role at the helm of Mulan will make the New Zealander only the fifth woman to direct a movie budgeted at over $100m (£80.2m).
And, money aside, the pressure on the new Mulan is high - fans are watching very closely to see how Disney is managing the project.
Which is understandable, because the original animated film was a firm staple in the movie diet of anyone who was under 14 when it came out.
The original Mulan grossed $304m (£244m) worldwide when it was released in 1998.
It tells the story of a young Chinese girl who who learns that her weak father is to be called upon to join the army.
Worrying that he would never survive the hardship of war, she disguises herself and joins in his place.
In September, 18 years after it was released, Disney announced Mulan would be the latest film to receive a live-action remake.
The studio has also given The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast non-animated makeovers recently.
Fans are watching with interest to see who is being hired to star and work on the film, which features mostly Chinese characters.
Disney have made clear they intend to shoot the Mulan remake in China, with a mostly Chinese cast.
A petition calling on Disney not to "whitewash" the film by casting white actors has attracted more than 111,000 signatures.
