Disney’s live-action Tangled remake may have its leads. A new report says Teagan Croft has landed Rapunzel, with Milo Manheim set to play Flynn Rider (aka Eugene Fitzherbert). If this holds, it’s a pretty fun, very musical-friendly pairing for a story that lives or dies on charm, chemistry, and whether the movie can make a 70-foot magic hair situation feel like a feature instead of a VFX problem.
It’s also a clear sign the project is actually moving again after a messy start-stop stretch in development.
What’s Been Going On With The Tangled Remake
This live-action take on the 2010 animated film has been circling for a while, with The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey attached and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson writing the script. Last spring, the movie was reportedly paused while Disney took a hard look at its live-action strategy after the box office stumble of Snow White. Since then, momentum has been building back up.
In late 2025, reports had Disney screen testing multiple actors for Rapunzel and Flynn, and the whole thing felt like it was in that “chemistry reads, shortlists, no one can say anything out loud” phase. Now, the newest reporting suggests the search is over, and Croft and Manheim are in.
Why Teagan Croft As Rapunzel Makes Sense
Rapunzel is not just “Disney princess in a tower.” She’s bright and awkward and brave, with that specific Tangled energy where she can go from wide-eyed wonder to frying-pan intimidation in half a second. That part needs someone who can sell sincerity without being too polished.
Croft is best known for playing Rachel Roth (Raven) on Titans, which is basically the opposite vibe on paper. But that’s also what makes her interesting here. If she brings even a fraction of that grounded intensity into Rapunzel’s “I’m finally outside and everything is terrifying and amazing” arc, it could give the live-action version a little extra edge without losing the warmth.
Milo Manheim Feels Built For Flynn Rider
Flynn Rider has to be charismatic, funny, slightly punchable in the first act, and then genuinely lovable by the end. Manheim has been in Disney’s orbit for years thanks to the Zombies franchise, and he’s also done plenty of performance-heavy work outside that lane, including stage roles. That matters for Tangled, because even if Disney tweaks the song list, this is still a story with musical DNA.
The bigger question is chemistry. Live-action Tangled does not work if Rapunzel and Flynn don’t click fast. If Disney’s landed on this duo, you’d assume the chemistry reads did what they needed to do.
The Big Unknowns Fans Will Care About
Disney still has a few landmines to navigate:
Mother Gothel casting: Gothel is the whole engine of the story. She has to be funny, terrifying, and emotionally manipulative in a way that feels real, not cartoony.
The music: The original has a strong soundtrack, and “I See the Light” is the emotional spine. Disney can modernize the arrangements, but it can’t lose what makes those songs hit.
The visuals: Rapunzel’s hair, the lantern scene, and the tower sequences are iconic. The remake has to find that balance where it looks magical, but still feels tactile enough to match the tone.
When Could It Release?
No release date is set. If production really is lining up for a 2026 shoot (as earlier reporting has suggested), you’re realistically looking at 2027 at the earliest, depending on how heavy the effects workload is and how packed Disney’s calendar gets.
Either way, this is the first time the live-action Tangled has felt like it’s stepping out of the rumor zone and into the “okay, this is happening” zone. Now we just need Disney to make it official, and then the real discourse begins.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
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