Live-Action Mulan Teaser Trailer Reveals Disney's New Take On An Old Classic

She brought honor to us all — but has Disney brought honor to her?

The House of Mouse has unveiled the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated live-action remake of Mulan, the animated musical classic that told the tale of Mulan, the daughter of a famous but now-elderly warrior who disguises herself as a man to fight in her father's place and protect China against the Hun invaders. Released in 1998, the original Mulan was inspired by a real-life Chinese warrior named Hua Mulan, and featured action, adventure, gorgeous animation, catchy tunes (we all know and love "I'll Make A Man Out of You"), and a tiny dragon named Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy). 

Disney's live-action take on Mulan is quite different from its animated predecessor — and the teaser trailer shows us how. 

Directed by New Zealander filmmaker Niki Caro, the live-action Mulan stars beloved Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei (also known as Crystal Liu) as Hua Mulan, seen in the footage sitting alongside members of her family as they tell her that a matchmaker has selected an "auspicious" spouse for her. Mulan's father, the famed war veteran Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma), tells her that marrying this mystery man and becoming a good wife to him is "what's best" for the family. The teaser then shows Mulan's family dressing her in beautiful garments, painting her face, and pinning her hair up — then switches to display who Mulan is inside: a whip-smart, powerful, determined woman who stops at nothing to honor her family and her country.

Without outright telling us, the first look at the live-action Mulan teases where the story goes: the Emperor of China issues a decree calling for one man from each family to enlist in the army and fight the invaders coming from the north. Mulan decides to masquerade as a man, going by the name Hua Jun, and take her father's place in the war. Throughout her journey, she is "tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential" to become an honored warrior who earns both her family and her country's respect. 

There are no familiar songs included in the teaser because, well, there apparently won't be any in the full film either. Unlike the Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin remakes, Mulan is reportedly forgoing full-on song and dance in favor of an instrumental score. 

Additionally, it's been said that the live-action Mulan won't feature Mulan's dragon Mushu and will instead include a phoenix as her spiritual guide. And in the same vein, the fan-favorite Mulan character Li Shang isn't in the new film either. He's been replaced by Cheng Honghui (played by Yoson An), an ambitious and slightly cocky recruit who's a member of the unit overseen by Commander Tung (Donnie Yen), Mulan's mentor and the leader of the Imperial Regiment. Like Commander Tung, Honghui is a completely new character not seen in the original Mulan, but he carries some of the same qualities as Li Shang did: he begins as Mulan's rival before becoming her ally and love interest. 

In fact, many characters in the new Mulan are ones not featured in the animated flick. Gong Li plays an evil witch named Xianniang who joins forces with Hun warrior leader Böri Khan, played by Jason Scott Lee, the character who replaces the nefarious Shan Yu from the original. There's also Xana Tang as Hua Xiu, Mulan's sister, and Chum Ehelepola and Utkarsh Ambudkar as Skatch and Ramtish, a pair of con artists. 

There's a lot of potential with all this change, and though the alterations are bound to bum some fans out, the response to this Mulan teaser trailer suggests that audiences will end up really loving the live-action film. Fans seem to be open to the modifications, feeling that Disney is delivering something original and not just remaking Mulan beat for beat with the exact same songs, characters, and stories. 

Featuring a glittering cast including Jet Li as the Emperor, Disney's live-action Mulan arrives in theaters on March 27, 2020.