Adroitly sidestepping any concerns of potential "whitewashing" of the role, Disney auditioned more than 1,000 actresses of Chinese descent to find just the right lead to play Mulan, someone who had the perfect mix of acting talent, martial arts training and likability.

They picked Chinese-American actress Liu and cast other leading Chinese actors, Donnie Yen, Jet Li and Jason Scott Lee, and actress Gong Li.

As the world's second-largest movie market, China is a major territory for Disney. China's box-office revenue grew 9 percent to around 61 billion yuan ($8.5 billion) in 2018, becoming an essential part of the success of many Hollywood blockbusters.

Tackling a beloved legend from another culture can be fraught with public relations peril if handled badly. Disney executives explain how they approached a movie like Mulan to ensure cultural integrity and authenticity.

"Initially, we spent a lot of time with scholars, experts and people from the region, before spending a great deal of time in China," says Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, adding that the studio not only has a Chinese cast but also brought in a Chinese producer to make the movie with them.