Mulan teaser: Liu Yifei trains to become combat-ready in Disney's live-action remake of 1998 martial-arts musical

The first official teaser of Disney’s live-action remake of the 1998 martial arts film  Mulan  sees its eponymous protagonist get combat-ready. The teaser of the movie was debuted during the halftime of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and stars Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei  in the lead. [caption id=“attachment_6952881” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  A still from Mulan teaser. YouTube screengrab[/caption] The trailer begins with Mulan’s mother informing her that a “perfect” suitor has been found for her, and that she should start preparing for the matrimony. “Yes, I will bring honour to us all,”  Mulan says, as she starts training to become a warrior, riding horses, wielding swords and shooting arrows. “When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honoured warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father,” reads the official description. Apart from Yifei, the film also stars Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan, Yoson An as Cheng Honghu, Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. Niki Caro (of The Zookeeper’s Wife and _North County-_fame) will direct Mulan from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hyneck. It is based on the narrative poem The Ballad of Mulan. It was earlier reported that the film, unlike the original animated feature, will  not be a musical , but Caro  had mentioned that the film would be “a big, girly martial arts epic,” adding, “It will be extremely muscular and thrilling and entertaining and moving.” A release date for Indian cinemas has not been announced by the studio yet. However, it will open in US theatres on 27 March, 2020. Watch the trailer here