Why Disney is Putting the Live-Action Remake of ‘Tangled’ on Hold

Disney's trend of turning beloved animated classics into live-action adaptations has been commercially successful. For example, Angelina Jolie's 2014 Maleficent, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that focuses on the origin story of Maleficent as a powerful fairy before she turned evil, grossed over $750 million at the box office against a budget of more than $260 million. 

Lily James' 2015 live-action adaptation of Cinderella was both commercially and critically successful. It earned over $540 million against a $90 million budget, much like Emma Watson’s 2017 Beauty and the Beast, which also received praise for its cast, songs, and visual design. The film went on to win numerous awards and grossed over $1.26 billion against a $255 million budget. 

However, with its recent project Snow White (you might have heard about it, as there’s been a ton of news surrounding it), the studio decided to postpone the planned live-action remake of Tangled. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the live-action adaptation ofTangled, a retelling of Rapunzel’s story, was being delayed. The animated film released in 2010 was also critically and commercially successful and received numerous accolades, including an Academy Awards nomination for Best Original Song for “I See the Light,” sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, the actors who voiced Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, respectively. 

The live-action film has been in active development with Michael Gracey, The Greatest Showman director set to direct and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Thor: Love and Thunder) set to write a script. 

The decision for the delay of the live-adaptation of Tangled was the underwhelming performance of Snow White in the box office, plus the numerous controversies surrounding its lead actor, Rachel Zegler. The movie only grossed $69 million domestically and $145 million worldwide over a $270 million budget. Critics gave it a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with one critic writing, “Somewhere between the animated version and the true-life version the Disney magic was lost.” 

Perhaps the fate of the live-action remake will be more definite once the other scheduled remakes fare well in the box office. Lilo & Stitch live adaptation is scheduled for a May 23, 2025, release while Moana is set to premiere in theaters on July 10, 2026, with Dwayne Johnson set to reprise his role as Maui, a character he voiced in the animation.  

No official news yet with regards to other planned live adaptations of other animated films like Hercules (1997), Robin Hood (1973), The Aristocats (1970), and Bambi (1942).