Niki Caro to direct live-action Mulan film

Niki Caro has signed on to direct the live-action version of Disney’s Mulan.
Caro earned recognition for her 2002 drama Whale Rider and received further acclaim for 2015’s McFarland, USA. She is also behind the upcoming adaptation of The Zookeeper’s Wife, starring Jessica Chastain.
As the Hollywood Reporter notes, the New Zealand native had previously been circling the female-driven Captain Marvel, but instead she’s taking on the classic Mulan tale.
Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver, the writers behind the Jurassic World and Avatar sequels, will pen the Mulan screenplay and Bill Kong, who has worked on several hits in China, is slated to executive produce the film. The Oscar-nominee is behind such visual marvels as House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Kong’s involvement is part of Disney’s highly publicised effort to preserve the story’s Chinese origin.
Mulan will be Disney’s second film with a budget above $100 million (£80 million) to be directed by a female director. Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time is the first.