isk ed ▁away ▁by ▁a ▁British ▁Prince ▁Ch arm ing ▁to ▁happiness ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁was ▁in ▁development . ▁Thomas ▁Sch um acher ▁asked ▁Sou ci ▁if ▁he ▁had ▁any ▁additional ▁stories , ▁in ▁which ▁Sou ci ▁turned ▁in ▁a ▁manuscript ▁of ▁a ▁book ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Chinese ▁poem ▁" The ▁Song ▁of ▁Fa ▁Mu ▁Lan ". ▁Ult imately , ▁Disney ▁decided ▁to ▁combine ▁the ▁two ▁separate ▁projects . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁Fe ature ▁An imation ▁Florida ▁stud ios , ▁Barry ▁Cook , ▁who ▁had ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁special - effect s ▁anim ator ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁had ▁directed ▁the ▁Roger ▁Rab bit ▁cart oon ▁Tra il ▁Mix - Up ▁produced ▁at ▁the ▁satellite ▁studio . ▁Upon ▁a ▁l unch ▁inv itation ▁with ▁Thomas ▁Sch um acher , ▁Cook ▁was ▁offered ▁two ▁projects ▁in ▁development : ▁a ▁Scottish ▁folk ▁tale ▁with ▁a ▁drag on ▁or ▁Mul an . ▁Know ledge able ▁about ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁drag ons ▁in ▁Chinese ▁myth ology , ▁Cook ▁suggested ▁adding ▁a ▁drag on ▁to ▁Mul an , ▁in ▁which ▁a ▁week ▁later , ▁Sch um acher ▁ur ged ▁Cook ▁to ▁drop ▁the ▁Scottish ▁project ▁and ▁accept ▁Mul an ▁as ▁his ▁next ▁project . ▁ ▁Following ▁this , ▁Cook ▁was ▁immediately ▁assigned ▁as ▁the ▁initial ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁project , ▁and ▁c ited ▁influ ences ▁from ▁Charlie ▁Chap lin ▁and ▁David ▁Le an ▁during ▁production . ▁While ▁working ▁as ▁an ▁anim ator ▁on ▁the ▁g argo yles ▁for ▁The ▁H unch back