Mulan is an upcoming English-language film directed by Jan de Bont

Jan de Bont

Jan de Bont is a Dutch cinematographer, producer, and film director.-Early life and career:De Bont was born, one of 17 children, to a Roman Catholic family in Eindhoven, Netherlands. His earliest work after studying at the Amsterdam Film Academy was with the Dutch avant garde director Adriaan...

, starring Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is coined by the media as one of the Four Young Dan actresses in the Film Industry in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun...

 as the titular heroine.

Production

In July 2010, Chinese media reported that Zhang Ziyi was to star as the protagonist in an English-language 3D action film based upon the folk tale of Hua Mulan

Hua Mulan

Hua Mulan is a legendary figure from ancient China who was originally described in a Chinese poem known as the Ballad of Mulan . In the poem, Hua Mulan takes her aged father's place in the army. She fought for 12 years and gained high merit, but she refused any reward and retired to her hometown...

. It was also claimed that Disney, who had previously popularized the story in their 1998 animated film

Mulan

Mulan is a 1998 American animated film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney...

, would invest 100 million dollars into the project, but a Disney spokeswoman later discounted this as false. Wang Lee Hom was reportedly considered for the role of Captain Li Shang. However, later rumors alleged that this role had ultimately gone to Jerry Yan

Jerry Yan

Jerry Yan was born 1 January 1977. He is a Taiwanese actor and member of Taiwanese boy band F4. His birth name is Liao Yangzhen .-Career:...

.

In September 2010, The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter

Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...

managed to obtain a copy of the film's casting call, which stated that production was at that point "in preparation in Beijing

Beijing

Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

", was "set to move to Shanghai

Shanghai

Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

" on September 15, and would also utilize the lots of the Hengdian World Studios

Hengdian World Studios

Hengdian World Studios is the largest film studio in the world. It is located in Hengdian, a town in the city of Dongyang in Zhejiang Province. The movie studio is operated by the privately-owned Hengdian Group founded by a farmer turned millionaire Xu Wenrong. Sometimes called "Chinawood", Xu...

. Shootings were expected to wrap in January 2011.

Plot

To save her father from death in the army, a young Chinese girl, Mulan (Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi

Zhang Ziyi is a Chinese film actress. Zhang is coined by the media as one of the Four Young Dan actresses in the Film Industry in China, along with Zhao Wei, Xu Jinglei, and Zhou Xun...

), discreetly enlists in his place, eventually becoming one of China's greatest heroes in the process.