Tangled: The Greatest Showman director in talks to direct live-action remake for Disney

Disney can’t resist a live-action remake. Deadline reports that Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) is in talks to direct a live-action remake of Tangled for the studio.

Based on the retelling of the Rapunzel fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, Tangled tells the story of a long-lost princess (Mandy Moore) desperate to leave the confines of her isolated tower. But when a runaway thief (Zachary Levi) stumbles upon her, she leaves to experience a world which she has never seen. There have been rumblings of a live-action version of the 2010 animated film for a number of years, with Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) once rumoured to be directing.

The live-action Tangled is expected to follow the same beats as the original, with Jennifer Laytin Robinson (I Know What You Did Last Summer) penning the most recent draft of the script.

Disney has a number of live-action remakes just over the horizon, including Mufasa: The Lion King (although photo-realistically animated is a better term for this one), a prequel that tells the origin of Mufasa, the lion who will one day become king of the Pride Lands. “Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands, ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick,” reads the synopsis. “Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.” First reactions to the prequel have been surprisingly positive, with the film set to debut in theaters on December 20th.

There’s also the controversial live-action Snow White movie starring Rachel Zegler coming to theaters on March 21, 2025, as well as the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch, which is set for a May 23, 2025 release.

Are you down for a live-action Tangled movie?