Disney releases first photo of Liu as Mulan

Disney, the world's leading entertainment company, built excitement for the long-awaited live-action Mulan film by releasing the first official photo of Chinese actress Liu Yifei, or Crystal Liu in English, who stars as the famed warrior princess.

The film will be based on the 1998 animated film of the same name about a woman in ancient China who disguises herself to take her father's place in the army.

The movie is being directed by Niki Caro. Her 2002 film Whale Rider was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals.

Liu stood out from the nearly 1,000 candidates who auditioned for the role.

The 31-year-old actress is nicknamed "Fairy Sister" in China because of her sweet image and fairy-like temperament.

Liu has starred in several English films before, including The Forbidden Kingdom, Outcast and last year’s The Chinese Widow.

Three Chinese martial arts stars — Donnie Yen, Jet Li and top actress Gong Li — have also been confirmed for the all-star cast.

The film is set to hit the big screen on March 27, 2020.