With just three months to go until Disney’s Snow White (2025) lands in movie theaters, the Mouse House has confirmed that a live-action remake of 2010’s Tangled is in the works. But who will be bringing the characters of Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and Mother Gothel to life?
Released in 2010, Disney’s Tangled is a modern masterpiece that blends heartfelt storytelling with groundbreaking animation, solidifying its place in Disney’s legendary lineup of animated classics. Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, the film reimagines the timeless fairy tale of Rapunzel, offering a fresh take filled with humor, adventure, and undeniable charm.
Mandy Moore (This Is Us) portrayed Rapunzel, while Zachary Levi’s (Shazam!) Flynn Rider brought charisma and comedic wit to the screen. Donna Murphy’s performance as Mother Gothel added depth to the story, creating a villain who was as memorable as she was menacing. 
With a staggering production budget of $260 million, Tangled is one of the most expensive animated films ever made—a gamble that paid off, as it grossed over $592 million worldwide. The film’s iconic song “I See the Light,” composed by the legendary Alan Menken with lyrics by Glenn Slater, became an instant Disney classic, earning an Academy Award nomination and enchanting audiences around the globe.
More than just a box office success, Tangled sparked a new era for Disney animation, paving the way for cultural phenomena like Frozen (2013), Moana (2016), and Zootopia (2016). Its enduring legacy continues through its spinoff TV series, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.
Now, after years of rumors, Disney has confirmed it is moving forward with a live-action remake of Tangled, announcing the directing and writing duo set to bring Rapunzel and Flynn (Eugene…) to the big screen.
Credit: Disney
“The studio is developing a reimagining of the 2010 animated movie, a musical take on the Brothers Grimm story about the magically long-haired princess Rapunzel,” Variety confirmed. “The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey is in talks to direct the film from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, whose credits include Netflix’s campy dark comedy Do Revenge, Thor: Love and Thunder, and the upcoming I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot.”
While no casting information has been released just yet, both Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi have spoken out about starring in a potential remake, possibly as Rapunzel’s parents. In separate interviews, Levi told Entertainment Tonight that he thinks it would be fun if “[he and Mandy] got to be Rapunzel’s parents,” while Moore said to Elite Daily that she could be Rapunzel’s mom.
Credit: Disney
“Let’s have a real mother-daughter duet and have someone write an original song so we can talk about our differences and how hard it is to be a young person in this world,” the former American Idol star told the outlet.
Both, however, gave names to people who could take on the coveted roles. Levi suggested Hollywood star Timothée Chalamet for Flynn. The actor has already proven he can sing as well as act with performances in Wonka (2023) and as the lead in the Bob Dylan biopic The Complete Unknown (2024).
As for Moore, she suggested pop singer Sabrina Carpenter would be a great fit for Rapunzel. “I could see her with 50 feet of hair or something,” Moore told Elite Daily. “She looks like a Disney princess in real life.” Over the years, other names have surfaced for the roles, with British actress Florence Pugh (We Live In Time) eyed by fans to bring Rapunzel to life.
The news of Tangled‘s live-action development comes at a tricky time for The Walt Disney Company. In just over three months, the House of Mouse will officially reveal its contentious live-action adaptation of Walt Disney’s first-ever feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).Starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot as Snow White and the Evil Queen, respectively, Marc Webb’s Disney’s Snow White has been through the wringer. From production issues to a bloated budget to multiple PR controversies, it doesn’t seem like Snow White will be the box office splash Disney had maybe once hoped. The company even omitted it from its most-anticipated 2025 releases at the last quarterly earnings call.
The latest blows to the Snow White campaign came with Rachel Zegler’s scathing comments about President-Elect Donald Trump’s win over Kamala Harris in the United States Presidential election, which she later apologized for, and Disney’s release of a new trailer. The trailer went on to amass thousands more dislikes to likes, seemingly confirming its collapse.
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Credit: Disney
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As reported by Forbes, Snow White‘s most recent budget estimations sit at close to $270 million, suggesting that the movie needs to hit over $400 million at the box office not to be a total flop. A small lifeline was offered to the Snow White production by the government, but that may not be nearly enough to get the Disney Princess movie into the green.
Prior to Disney’s Snow White hitting theaters, Barry Jenkins will bring his prequel to The Lion King (1994/2019), Mufasa: The Lion King (2024), to the big screen. Post-Snow White sees adaptations of Lilo & Stitch (2002) and Moana (2016) enter the conversation with 2025 and 2026 releases, respectively. Further afield, Disney has a live-action Bambi, Hercules, and The Aristocats, among others, on the slate.
How do you feel about Tangled getting the live-action treatment? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
