There’s simply no stopping the Disney live-action remake train. The latest animated classic that’s getting an updated version at the House of Mouse is none other than Tangled. According to a report in Deadline, The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey is looking to sign on to direct a live-action version of Walt Disney Animation’s rendition of Rapunzel. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, screenwriter of Thor: Love and Thunder and the I Know What You Did Last Summer remake, wrote the most recent screenplay. So get ready to make your Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, and Mother Gothel fancastings known.
Alongside the currently filming Moana remake, Tangled marks a pretty big departure from how Disney approached these live-action remakes before. Starting with Alice in Wonderland in 2010, Disney remade classics from at least one or more generations ago. Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King came out over 25 years after their original versions hit theaters. Meanwhile, movies like Cinderella came out 65 years after the iconic animated film. The original Tangled came out in 2010, not even 15 years ago. Both Tangled and Moana still feel like very modern movies in style, and a new modern version feels especially redundant.
Nevertheless, from a business standpoint if nothing else, we hate to say it makes sense. Disney’s live-action remakes have been a stealth multi-billion dollar cash cow for the studio. Movies like Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin each raked in over a billion dollars at the box office. Disney no doubt wants to mine their more recent hits, fresh in the minds of audiences. This is probably why the studio relegated movies like Pinocchio and Cruella to Disney+ only, although the upcoming Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs seems to buck that trend. If a Tangled remake succeeds, then Frozen isn’t far behind. Prepare to hear “Let it Go” everywhere you go again.
