TWO studios are looking to make some “Mulan” moolah. Both Disney and Sony are developing live-action adaptations of the ancient Chinese ballad about a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in the army.

    After the success of its live-action “Cinderella” (US$543.5 million worldwide), Disney (which made 1998’s animated version) began developing a live-action take on “Mulan” in early 2015. The studio bought a spec script by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, then hired Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver to rewrite. Insiders say the studio liked the rewrite so much that it fast-tracked the project, dating the 3-D film for Nov. 2, 2018.

    Disney is moving quickly to find a director, ideally Asian (Ang Lee was approached but passed; the studio is open to others), and there will be a global search to find a Chinese lead actress and love interest. Sony, too, is seeking an Asian director for its project, according to sources, and plans to feature a predominantly Asian cast. That project, with a script by Jason Keller, is said to be in very early development through the studio’s international production group (with Doug Belgrad co-financing via his new banner 2.0 Entertainment) and likely would hit theaters long after Disney’s version. Competing with Disney in the live-action fable business is tough: April’s “The Jungle Book” earned US$966.2 million worldwide.(SD-Agencies)