Walt Disney Pictures has announced the leads for Tangled, the live-action adaptation of its 2010 animated film, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter.
The studio has selected Australian actress Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim, star of Disney Channel’s Zombies franchise, for the roles of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, the report said.
Croft will play Rapunzel, the princess with hair, while Manheim will portray Flynn Rider, the outlaw thief who assists her escape from her tower prison.
Michael Gracey to direct live-action tangled with musical elements
Michael Gracey will direct the feature, which will include musical elements. Gracey has directed Better Man and The Greatest Showman. Kristin Burr, who produced Freakier Friday and the 2021 live-action Cruella, will produce the movie. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson wrote the script.
Disney conducted screen tests in London in December before the winter holidays to find the leads. The studio searched for actors in the US and UK.
The roles were previously voiced by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi in the original film, which is regarded as a classic and part of Disney Animation’s second renaissance.
A Disney live-action feature has the potential to become a hit worldwide, the report said. The live-action Lilo & Stitch was the year’s only billion-dollar hit until Disney’s animated Zootopia 2. The original Tangled grossed $591 million worldwide and spawned a Disney Channel series.
Disney was deliberate and considered in its choices and did not rush the process, according to sources, the report said. The next role to be cast will be Mother Gothel, which at one point was going to be played by Scarlett Johansson.
Lucy Kitada is acting as an executive producer on Tangled.
Croft is known for playing Raven in the DC series Titans, which ran from 2018 to 2023 on DC Universe and HBO Max. She starred in the Australian film True Spirit, portraying Jessica Watson, the teenage sailor who attempted a solo journey to circumnavigate the globe. The 2023 film streamed on Netflix.
Manheim, the son of actress Camryn Manheim, appeared in four Zombies films, the franchise that combines the undead with songs. He starred in Paramount+ series School Spirits and played Seymour in a revival of Little Shop of Horrors.
