Not long after Disney first revealed that it was working on a live-action remake of its animated classic "Mulan," fans demanded that the studio remain faithful to its source material, and cast only Chinese actors in the production. This week, an Asian blogger uncovered the spec script that Disney reportedly purchased for the project, which features a white male lead. Did that mean that the studio planned on whitewashing the film?



According to at least one anonymous source connected to the upcoming remake, the answer is a resounding no. Vulture did some digging and discovered that Disney did indeed purchase the script in question, written by Lauren Hynek and Elizabeth Martin, which describes Mulan's love interest as a 30-something European trader who sets his sights on the young Chinese heroine, and is the one who defeats the film's villains -- not Mulan.



The blogger, who goes by the name Angry Asian Man, was understandably upset by this plot line, and urged readers to bombard Disney with their mutual disgust at the hijacking of a Chinese woman's story by a white savior narrative. But according to the source that Vulture spoke with, that spec script was nothing more than "a jumping-off point for a new take on the story," and the film will feature storylines "from both the literary ballad of Mulan and Disney's 1998 animated film."



"Mulan is and will always be the lead character in the story, and all primary roles, including the love interest, are Chinese," the source added.



The script is currently undergoing a complete rewrite from screenwriting duo Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver ("Jurassic World"), and Disney has committed to conducting a global casting search for a Chinese actress to play Mulan. The remake is set to hit theaters on November 2, 2018.