It turns out that Liu Yifei will not be romancing her commanding officer (this time played by Jet Li) in the live-action Mulan remake. The plot’s been changed a bit, and The Hollywood Reporter announced on Wednesday that Yoson An has been cast as Chen Honghui, an ambitious army recruit who becomes Mulan’s ally and eventual love interest. A Chinese actor raised in New Zealand, Yoson An is best known as the costar of the TV miniseries Dead Lucky, alongside Rachel Griffiths, but he’s been getting a lot of plumb movie parts lately; you’ll soon be able to see him in both The Meg and Mortal Engines.
In addition, Chum Ehelepola (Sequestered) has been cast as a character named Ramtish, who will serve as a foil to the already cast Skath (Pitch Perfect‘s Utkarsh Ambudkar). As these are not principle characters in the animated version, it’s anyone’s guess what role they’ll have, though the fact that they’re described as a “duo,” along with many of their prior credits, suggests they’ll be the comic relief.
But does that mean no Mushu? The most obviously merchandisable animated character has yet to be recast; perhaps director Niki Caro plans a more realistic take with no room for dragons. This may disappoint some old-school fans, but it would certainly help to make clear that we have a very different film on hand. And isn’t that what you’d hope from a remake?
What do you want to see from the new Mulan? Tell us down below.
Image: SBS-TV Australia
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