After a yearlong worldwide search and more than 1,000 auditions, Disney finally found its lead actress for the live-action adaptation of "Mulan," and the internet has since been buzzing to get to know who the lucky girl is. For those who missed it, Disney announced on Thursday that Chinese star Liu Yifei is giving life to the Disney princess on the big screen.
The 30-year-old actress, whose birth name is An Feng and also goes by the name Crystal Liu, is one of China's most popular and bankable stars. According to reports, she started as a child model, appearing on television roles at the age of 15. After achieving success on the small screen, she ventured onto the big one and has since proven her chops in international projects.
Her first-ever Hollywood role was in 2008's "The Forbidden Kingdom" where she acted alongside international Chinese stars Jackie Chan and Jet Li. She also appeared in the 2014 movie "Outcast" starring Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christiensen.
Apart from Western media, she also made a name in neighboring Asian countries, having recorded an album in Japan and appearing in the Chinese-Korean film "The Third Way of Love." While she gained popularity in Korea for her involvement in the latter project, she is best known among local citizens for being Hallyu star Song Seung Hun's girlfriend whom she starred with in the movie.
Liu and Song were plagued with relationship rumors in 2015 after Chinese publications reported Song stayed overnight at Liu's home. August that year, the actor's agency issued a statement, confirming they are indeed dating.
Like Liu, her boyfriend is also a very popular Asian celebrity for starring in the hugely popular TV drama "Autumn in My Heart," which pioneered the trend of melancholic dramas in Korea and started the fever known as "Korean Wave." Since then, he has been actively tapped for movie roles and advertisements in other Asian countries including Japan and Hong Kong.
Song has yet to release an official statement about her girlfriend's casting. As far as fans are concerned, though, Disney's decision to cast Liu is a major breakthrough considering Hollywood's notorious reputation for whitewashing.
There is not much known about the live-action "Mulan," but Liu's multinational experience should help it appeal to both American and Chinese audiences, in turn nearly guaranteeing a box office smash.
Directed by Niki Caro, the film is expected to open in cinemas sometime in 2019.
