Disney has cast Diego Luna in its live-action remake of Tangled, adding the Andor star to a project that shoots in Spain beginning this June. Luna will play a character written specifically for the adaptation — a role that has no equivalent in the 2010 animated original — with details kept firmly under wraps.
Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim lead the film as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, respectively, after the studio conducted an extensive search across both sides of the Atlantic last December. Kathryn Hahn, whose recent work on Agatha All Along and The Studio has kept her in high demand, is set to play the villainous Mother Gothel. Scarlett Johansson had previously been attached to the role before withdrawing due to other commitments.
Michael Gracey, who directed the musical biopics Better Man and The Greatest Showman, is helming the film, which will retain the big musical elements of the source material. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemayor wrote the screenplay, with Kristin Burr producing via Burr! Productions.
The original Tangled, directed by Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, grossed over $590 million worldwide and earned an Oscar nomination for its song “I See the Light.” The film is widely credited with helping revitalize Disney’s princess genre for a new generation.
Luna arrives at the project fresh off one of the more celebrated television performances in recent memory. His starring turn as Cassian Andor in the critically acclaimed Star Wars series earned him Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award nominations.
His slate beyond Tangled is equally ambitious: his directorial debut, Ashes, adapts an acclaimed Spanish-language novel and premieres at Cannes on May 13. He also stars in Netflix’s Mexico 86, which chronicles a government official’s efforts to secure Mexico’s hosting rights for the 1986 World Cup — timed for release during this summer’s tournament.
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The casting arrives at a sensitive moment for Disney’s live-action strategy. The Snow White adaptation bombed last spring, earning just $205.7 million worldwide against a rumored $270 million budget. But Lilo & Stitch, released shortly after, grossed over $1 billion globally, becoming the top-grossing domestic release of the year. Tangled is positioned as a test of whether that momentum holds.
Production is expected to span eight months across Spain and the United Kingdom. No release date has been announced.
