Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your big screen dreams.
Disney is hitting the pause button on its planned live-action remake of the 2010 animated hit “Tangled” following the disastrous box office performance of “Snow White,” according to multiple reports published on Thursday.
The Hollywood Reporter was the first to break the news. Entertainment Weekly and Deadline later confirmed the story.
“Tangled,” a reimagining of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “Rapunzel,” had been in active development, with “The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey signed on to helm the film from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (“Thor: Love and Thunder” and “Do Revenge”), insiders told THR.
According to Deadline, the movie was officially in pre-production and meetings with potential stars were already underway when Disney pulled the plug. The outlet also reported that “Snow White” tanking at the box office — the $270 million movie has grossed $69 million domestically and $145 million worldwide — led the House of Mouse to reevaluate plans for other planned live-action adaptations borrowing on its animated IP library.
The “Snow White” remake was dogged by controversy almost since it was added to Disney’s slate. The treatment of the 1937 animated classic’s “seven dwarves” drew debate all the way up until the remake’s March 21 release, while star Rachel Zegler, whose casting drew outrage because she is Latina, continually fueled right-leaning critics with social media posts attacking Donald Trump voters and supporting Palestine.
The “West Side Story” breakout, 23, also found herself in an awkward standoff with co-star Gal Gadot, 39, an Israeli actress who served in the Israeli Defense Force, over their differing political views.
Scandals aside, neither critics nor audiences found “Snow White” to be particularly fair, with the flick getting a paltry B+ Cinemascore from moviegoers (scores below an A- are considered lackluster).
“Tangled” once looked like a slam dunk choice for a live-action remake. Starring Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, the 2010 animated movie was a smash, making a little less than $600 million at the global box office.
Disney’s strategy of raiding its IP library for live-action remakes had been working prior to “Snow White” (at least financially). The studio’s recent re-imaginings of “The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Aladdin” each exceeded $1 billion globally. Though, the track record for producing retreads has not been perfect (see: “Dumbo” and “Pete’s Dragon”).
Two upcoming live-action remakes on Disney’s horizon could offer hope for Mickey and friends. “Lilo & Stitch,” a remake of the beloved 2002 movie, hits theaters May 23.
The trailer for the film was the second-most-viewed Disney live-action trailer of all time. Next June, Disney fans will get a live-action treatment of “Moana,” a franchise that has been both a streaming and box office success (“Moana 2” grossed $1 billion after being released last November).
