Chinese actress Liu Yifei to star as Disney's 'Mulan'

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Disney has found its Mulan.

After a year of auditioning and nearly 1,000 candidates, the Walt Disney Studios announced Wednesday that Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is going to star in the live-action adaptation of the classic Chinese tale.

A still from Disney's "Mulan" /courtesy of Disney

The studio's casting team traveled five continents to finally locate Liu, who poses the whole package the character needs – the credible martial arts skills, fluency in English and star quality. The studio focused on finding an ethnically Chinese woman to play Hua Mulan, the heroine who disguised herself as a man to fulfill her father's army duty in fifth-century China.

The result comes after an outcry from the fans who warned the studio not to cast a Caucasian to play the role. In September 2016, some 100,000 people signed the petition to the Disney studio.

Liu emerged as the perfect candidate. The 30-year-old is well known in China as an actress, model and singer. She began her acting career at the age of 15 when she took up a major role in the hit period drama "The Story of a Noble Family."

She continued to star in a number of TV series such as the "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" and "The Return of the Condor Heroes" and amassed huge fandom. She also earned the name of "Fairy Sister" for her pure and innocent looks and image.

Liu Yifei in "Once Upon a Time" /Photo via mtime.com

She moved to the US at 10 and lived in New York before returning home. She acted in English in "The Forbidden Kingdom" (2008) along with Jackie Chan and Jet Li, as well as "Outcast" (2014) opposite Nicolas Cage. Her more recent work is fantasy romance "Once Upon a Time" in August.

Disney said the story will be inspired by the animated film from 1998 and The Ballad of Mulan. New Zealand director Niki Caro, the woman behind "Whale Rider" and "McFarland, USA," will helm the film while Bill Kong, who has produced films like "House of Flying Daggers" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is executive producing the film.

It is expected to hit theaters in 2019.

Source(s): AP