Following last year’s successful release of the live-action adaptation of the beloved classic Lilo & Stitch and the forthcoming live-action film of the fan-favorite Moana, Disney has announced the main casting for their soon-to-be-produced live-action take on Tangled.
Released in 2010, Tangled presents Disney’s spin on the Brothers Grimm tale of Rapunzel. The film follows Rapunzel, a young woman with magical, glowing hair, who has spent eighteen years locked away in a tower, isolated from the world. The story centers on her journey as she ventures out to see the glowing lanterns that have long enchanted her—a journey filled with heart, adventure, and self-discovery.
Along the way, she is joined by Flynn Rider, a wanted thief who is reluctantly drawn into traveling with Rapunzel. As the two make their way toward her destination, romance begins to blossom between them.
While Rapunzel and Flynn serve as the story’s central focus, the film also features an ensemble of memorable characters, including Mother Gothel, her pet companions Pascal and Maximus, and other vibrant personalities who help Rapunzel break out of her shell and explore the world she has been kept from.
By the end of the film, Rapunzel is freed from her tower-bound life, finds love and her real family, and gains a deeper understanding of who she is and what she wants from life. But the story doesn’t end there.
To continue Rapunzel’s tale, Disney released a 2012 special short titled Tangled Ever After, which humorously chronicled the misadventures surrounding Rapunzel and Flynn’s wedding rings during their special day.
Given the love and positive reception of Tangled, Disney didn’t stop there. Disney Television Animation went on to develop additional stories of Rapunzel and her friends. In the spring of 2017, a Disney Channel Original Movie, Tangled: Before Ever After, was released. Set between the events of the main film and the short, it focused on Rapunzel’s life in her new world outside the tower. As Rapunzel navigates this next chapter, a series of events causes her magical hair and powers to return, setting up further challenges and dangers.
These storylines continue in the animated series Tangled: The Series, later retitled Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure. This 2D animated series ran for three seasons from 2017 to 2020 and is well worth watching on Disney+.
With such a wealth of content and stories and the lasting popularity of the original film over a decade later, it comes as little surprise that Disney has decided to bring Tangled to life in a live-action film.
While the animated projects featured the original voices of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as Rapunzel and Flynn, the live-action adaptation introduces new faces: Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim.
Fans may recognize Teagan Croft from her role as Raven on the DC series Titans and the Netflix film True Spirit. Disney fans will recall Milo Manheim from his leading role in the hit Disney film series Zombies.
Outside of casting, details are still limited. The film will be directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), with Kristin Burr and Lucy Kitada serving as producers. The screenplay is written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
As this is a brand-new development and the production timeline has not yet been announced, we may have to wait a while to learn more about this new take on Tangled. Even so, we look forward to seeing what Disney creates from this classic tale, and we will be covering updates as the project develops.