Live-action Mulan movie to be released in 2018

Following the recent announcement that director Jon Favreau would helm the live-action adaptation of The Lion King, Disney also confirmed today that beloved animated movie Mulan would be getting the same treatment.

Disney announced that it was currently in the process of trying to find a Chinese actress to play the titular heroine, holding world-wide auditions as soon as possible. Disney is reportedly fast-tracking production on the film in an attempt to keep it in line with the other live-action adaptations coming out. The first, Beauty and the Beast, is slated to be released in March and according to box office analysts, should be one of the biggest movies of the year.

Like the 1998 classic, Mulan tells the story of Chinese legend Hua Mulan, a female warrior who disguised her gender so she could replace her father in the army and go to war. Unlike the 1998 classic, it looks like this version of the film, like The Jungle Book, won’t be a musical.

Unlike The Lion King, there isn’t a director attached to the project just yet, but according to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is working quickly to bring someone on board. The goal is to get the film in theaters for Nov. 2, 2018, throwing it in competition with the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.