First trailer for Disney’s live-action Mulan promises a martial arts extravaganza

The first trailer for Disney’s reborn Mulan reveals the 1998 animated heroine in live-action form.

Yes, this movie was supposed to come out last December, but the The Nutcracker and the Four Realms took its place. Mulan is just the latest in Disney’s live-action revivals, which range from projects that are in the casting stages to others that are little more than rumored.

This first look at Mulan shows Liu Yifei as the iconic character, taking up her sword. The live-action remake caused a bit of a stir when Disney revealed it would swap the character of Li Shang for ambitious recruit Chen Hongui. It also added a witch and a little sister to the cast, and pivoted the film away from a musical; instead it’s a martial arts extravaganza. The first trailer emphasizes this plenty of acrobatics and sword-brandishing.

Directed by Niki Caro (Whale Rider) and starring Liu Yifei, Jet Li, and Tzi Ma, Mulan comes out March 27, 2020. See the first poster for the film, which replicates the ’98 version, below.

Walt Disney Pictures