Zhang Ziyi Cast As Mulan Hollywood hitmaker Jan de Bont has signed up to direct Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi in an independently-produced, English-language co-production of the classic tale of Hua Mulan , the legendary young heroine soldier who joins an all-male army. “ Mulan ” is set to start shooting this fall outside Shanghai, where de Bont, the director of “Speed,” “Twister” and “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” will attempt to bring romance, action and drama to screenwriter John Blickstead’s re-creation of the Chinese Joan of Arc story that was first described in a 6th century poem. The character was popularized around the world in the 1998 Walt Disney animated film of the same name. The heroine got her last cinematic run-out last year in "Hua Mulan," which starred Chinese actress Zhao Wei and received mixed reviews. Zhang is one of China’s biggest actresses, and the new “Mulan” film comes at a time when the country’s movie business is growing by leaps and bounds at hom