Disney's Live-Action Mulan Casts Rogue One Star Donnie Yen

Disney is keeping it in the family. 

Per The Hollwood Reporter, Donnie Yen has been cast in Disney's upcoming live-action Mulan movie. The film marks a reunion between Yen and the House of Mouse, as the actor previously starred in the studio's first Star Wars spinoff film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, capturing hearts as the blind and unbelievably ballsy Rebel warrior Chirrut Îmwe. 

Chinese singer-actress Liu Yifei (also known as Crystal Liu) leads the reimagining as Mulan, the titular princess-turned-fighter inspired by the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan. Yen will star directly opposite her, playing Commander Tung, Mulan's mentor. Yen and Liu have actually worked together in the past, as they are both huge stars in their native China. Known as "Fairy Sister" for her innocent persona and easy-going demeanor, Liu appeared in the third installment of the Ip Man franchise, which Yen toplines as the eponymous Ip Man, the sole practitioner of Wing Chun.

The new iteration of Mulan will translate the 1998 animated Disney classic, which starred Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, and BD Wong, into immersive live action — and might even keep some of campy songs that made the cartoon film so endearing. Though director Niki Caro (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper's Wife) at one point stated that she didn't believe there were any tunes included in the live-action adaptation, she later walked back the comment and revealed that things in that regard haven't been decided yet. 

"We've never talked about songs, and no decision has been made," Caro said in March of 2017. Fingers crossed Disney will make up its mind soon (and then make a man out of all of us). 

Up next for Yen, who recently appeared in xXx: Return of Xander Cage, is Ip Man 4 and the film adaptation of the video game Sleeping Dogs.

The live-action Mulan is slated for a March 27, 2020 launch.