'Mulan' Trailer: Disney's Latest Live-Action Remake Gets Down To Business

Disney is finally getting down to business with its Mulan live-action remake, which feels like it has been sitting on the backburner for months now. Only one short teaser has been released thus far for the film, which stars Chinese actress Liu Yifei as the legendary warrior. Now, mere months before Niki Caro's live-action remake of the beloved Disney animated classic is set to hit theaters, Mulan is getting its second official trailer.

Based on the 1998 feature animated film inspired by one of China's most popular folktales, Mulan follows a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place in the Imperial Army. But unlike Disney's recent nostalgia-peddling remakes, Caro's Mulan will be taking more cues from the original folktale, along with a more serious and less musical tone. Yes, that means no Mushu.

The first trailer teased a war epic unlike anything we've seen in Disney, live-action remakes or otherwise, and seems like something more akin to a spectacular wuxia film. With its vibrant color scheme and beautiful cinematography, Mulan already is a breath of fresh air from the uninspired shot-for-shot remakes we've been getting from Disney lately. Although Disney has been unusually quiet in its marketing of the film, perhaps due to star Liu Yifei recently receiving criticism related to the political strife in Hong Kong and China, the studio will hopefully ramp up its campaign as we get closer to the March 2020 release.

Mulan also stars Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Ron Yuan, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Nelson Lee, Chum Ehelepola, with Gong Li and Jet Li.

Here is the synopsis for Mulan:

When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation...and a proud father. "Mulan" features a celebrated international cast that includes: Yifei Liu as Mulan; Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan; Yoson An as Cheng Honghui; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. The film is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek based on the narrative poem "The Ballad of Mulan."

Mulan opens in theaters on March 27, 2020.