Disney Casts Its Live-Action Tangled Stars

After the massive Snow White debacle, Disney was said to have put their future live-action remakes on hold, particularly one they were planning of the 2010 animated classic, Tangled. That plan didn't last long. It was only a few short months later that casting for the film began. Earlier this week, the official announcement was made that the auditions were complete, and Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim were selected to play Rapunzel and Flynn Rider/Eugene, respectively. These two actors certainly resemble their animated counterparts and are safer choices than the diversity castings for The Little Mermaid and Snow White, which resulted in much controversy despite both actresses giving the roles their all. Still, should this movie even be made?

I get it. Sixteen years is long enough for a child to become an adult, and yet the animated version of Tangled still feels fresh in recent memory. Maybe it's because it never really faded away, being heavily featured on the Disney Magic with a themed restaurant and live musical. The animated sequel series ended only six years ago, making this property feel so recent that a remake seems almost insulting. There are also some obvious differences in animation technology when comparing this film to the other animated classics Disney has remade in the past. Although no teaser has been released yet, it will likely have similar issues to the teaser for Moana, which looks almost identical to its animated counterpart due to the level of CGI used in the remake in relation to the original film.

The casting process for this film got more publicity than many of Disney's other live-action remakes, possibly so they could monitor fan reactions to avoid controversy as much as possible. They were upfront about their intent to cast someone who looks "ordinary" as Rapunzel, which makes sense because Rapunzel is a lost princess who grew up thinking she was an ordinary girl, and the only Disney Princess with freckles. The casting of a young unknown actress was very intentional, as they wanted a fresh face for the character. Milo, on the other hand, is relatively well-known among the Disney fan community for his leading role in their ongoing series of Zombies films. This solidified his relationship with the company and proved his ability to perform in musical romcoms.

As for their nemesis, Kathryn Hahn is currently "in talks" to take on the mantle of Mother Gorhel. After her mind-blowing performance as the motherly witch character in WandaVision, she seems almost too obvious a choice for the part. There is no doubt she could easily bring this iconic villain's humor and singing chops to life. However, since Disney already went the safe route with its two leads, it might be better for them to pick someone a little more off-brand for the villain to avoid making this another shot-for-shot remake of the animated film. Although they are probably going to end up doing that anyway, since that's what seems to sell.

Is this Tangled remake really necessary? Honestly, it feels like a bit of a stretch. With the original still feeling fresh and the animated series ending still fresh on our minds, it's hard not to wonder if Disney is rehashing old magic. The casting choices are safe, but will they bring enough new to the table to justify a remake? With Kathryn Hahn potentially on board as Mother Gothel, there's some excitement, but let's hope Disney takes some risks to make this feel truly special. Even if they call it a reimagining, we all know they're not going to take any big risks like following the birthing and blindness elements of the original fairy tale.