The new trailer for Disney’s live-action Mulan remake is here and we should warn you now: there’s no Mushu. In fact, there’s no songs or sassy green crickets either.

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But while all those ingredients from the 1998 animated film are missing, the upcoming movie ­– to be released in 2020 – contains plenty of kickass moments courtesy of the titular heroine. From slow-motion flips to spinning swordplay, gravity-defying bamboo parkour and insane archery skills, Chinese American actor Liu Yifei shows exactly why she’s the toughest man (well, woman masquerading as a man) in the Imperial Army.

Although the live-action film seeks to downplay the musical and fantasy elements of the original Disney animated adaptation, the remake draws on the same ancient poem, The Ballad of Mulan. It’s the story of a young woman who enrols in the male-only Chinese army – taking her elderly father’s place – to protect her country.

The live-action movie, directed by Niki Caro is also set to star Donnie Yen as Mulan’s mentor, Commander Tung, Jason Scott Lee as Hun leader Bori Khan, Yoson An as army ally Cheng Honghui and Jet Li as the emperor of China.

Fingers crossed they’ll bring honour to us all.

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Mulan will hit UK cinemas on 27th March 2020

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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