A Chinese New Zealander actor has been cast as the love interest of Mulan in
The news comes over six months after the lead for Mulan was announced.
Yoson An, a rising star in New Zealand, will star opposite Liu Yifei (Crystal Liu), who plays the titular heroine Hua Mulan, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
An will take on the role of Chen Honghui, a new character which replaces Mulan’s love interest from the original Disney animated film, Chinese army captain Li Shang.
As the casting call description suggested, Honghui will initially be Mulan’s archnemesis within Commander Tung’s unit before falling for her later on after she is revealed to be a woman.
Chen Honghui is reportedly the biggest role An has landed so far. Aside from having credits in the HBO Asia series “Grace” and the new thriller “The Meg,” he will also be seen in the movie “Mortal Engines” in December.
An’s casting signifies Disney is making good on its promise of casting mainly Chinese actors for their new film.
Among the Chinese celebrities earlier announced to be part of the production are Jet Li, who plays a Chinese emperor, Donnie Yen as Mulan’s mentor Commander Tung, and Gong Li as a powerful witch who is described as the movie’s main villain.
Featured Image via Facebook / YosonAnOfficial
