The live action remake of 'Mulan' could have been directed by Ang Lee! That would've been one hell of a movie but, alas, he passed on the opportunity because he is wanting to work on an altogether different project. Mind you, we think Alex Graves is well up to the job too.

Ang LeeAng Lee swaps 'Mulan' for boxing movie

The esteemed director of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Brokeback Mountain' and 'Life Of Pi' is currently promoting his latest movie 'Billy Lynn's Halftime Walk', but with more projects in line just waiting to be completed, he couldn't find the time to deviate from his schedule for Disney's 'Mulan'.

'Well, I have my mind on something else, which I wanted to make before Billy Lynn. It's a boxing movie', the Oscar winning filmmaker told Cinemablend recently. 'So I'm still pursuing that, [and] I don't want to hold up anybody. It sounds like a wonderful project, but I have my mind set on something else.'

That boxing movie is the long-awaited biopic 'Thrilla in Manila'; a film following the third and last legendary boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. It's set to hit theatres in 2018 with Peter Morgan writing the screenplay and Mike Gassaway apparently starring as sports broadcaster Dick Schaap.

More: Read our review of Ang Lee's 'Life Of Pi'

As for the movie that originally slowed production on the boxing movie, 'Billy Lynn's Halftime Walk' is a war drama starring Kristen Stewart and Vin Diesel about a young soldier who returns home from Iraq having had an altogether different experience from the one that the civilians of his nation expected him to have had.

'Mulan' will instead be directed by Primetime Emmy winner Alex Graves who is best known for his work on 'Game of Thrones' and 'The West Wing'. Signed on for the screenplay are Lauren Hynek, Rick Jaffa, Elizabeth Martin and Amanda Silver, with Chris Bender, Jason Reed, J.C. Spink and Jake Weiner among the production team. 

'Mulan' is expected to arrive in cinemas on November 2nd 2018.