Zhang Ziyi Cast As Mulan
Hollywood hitmaker Jan de Bont has signed up to direct Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi in an independently-produced, English-language co-production of the classic tale of Hua Mulan, the legendary young heroine soldier who joins an all-male army.
“Mulan” is set to start shooting this fall outside Shanghai, where de Bont, the director of “Speed,” “Twister” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” will attempt to bring romance, action and drama to screenwriter John Blickstead’s re-creation of the Chinese Joan of Arc story that was first described in a 6th century poem.
The character was popularized around the world in the 1998 Walt Disney animated film of the same name. The heroine got her last cinematic run-out last year in "Hua Mulan," which starred Chinese actress Zhao Wei and received mixed reviews.
Zhang is one of China’s biggest actresses, and the new “Mulan” film comes at a time when the country’s movie business is growing by leaps and bounds at home but has scored relatively few hits overseas.
Zhang is a recognizable star in the West for her roles in more than a few of the Chinese films that have crossed over, such as the Academy Award-winning “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” the Palme d’Or-nominated “2046,” and the Oscar-nominated film “Hero,” the largest-grossing Chinese film export of all time.
“This is the first independent film directed by Jan de Bont, whose worldwide boxoffice track record is huge,” Easternlight managing director and "Mulan" producer Ying Ye told The Hollywood Reporter, saying that pairing de Bont, Zhang and the story of Hua Mulan was “a winning combination.”
A Disney spokeswoman discounted as false Chinese press reports that said in July that the Hollywood studio would be backing the new “Mulan” to the tune of $100 million.
Bona International’s Beijing-based parent company Polybona, which is run by Yu Dong, the company’s chairman, will distribute the film in China, where boxoffice receipts rose 86% from Jan.-June. Polybona also holds the exclusive rights for “Mulan” for Taiwan and Hong Kong.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to be able to work with Jan and Ziyi to turn the Chinese legend of Mulan into a top-notch live-action movie for a worldwide audience,” Chan of Bona International said.
Zhang’s rise to fame, while drawing great admiration from some, has also subjected her in recent months to sometimes vitriolic public criticism over charitable contributions she allegedly failed to deliver to a fund she set up to aid the victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
Producers on de Bont’s “Mulan” would not disclose financial details, but Brough said in a statement sent to The Hollywood Reporter that the film was “the perfect opportunity to bring to the screen the ideal synthesis of western and Chinese movie making skills with both a top actress and director, each of whom is globally recognized for their commercial and artistic success in equal measure.”
De Bont will shoot the live-action theatrical feature at the gargantuan lots of the Hengdian World Studios, three hours drive from Shanghai in Zhejiang province. “Mulan” is expected to wrap in January.
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Source-THR
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