Once upon a time, there was a rumor that a live-action Rapunzel movie was in the works, but then a global pandemic came and spoiled all our fun.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since we first learned of Disney’s plans to bring the long-haired princess back to the big screen. At the time, it made perfect sense. Disney has a proven track record of turning its successful animated classics into live-action movies, namely Cinderella, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and The Jungle Book, which all did well at the box office even if they didn’t necessarily outperform their animated counterparts.
In 2021, we even got a 101 Dalmatians prequel in Cruella, which solidified the merits of live-action Disney remakes. Still, two years later, there has been no update regarding Rapunzel. What’s the status on this potential blockbuster?
Will there still be a live-action Rapunzel movie?
Officially speaking, the live-action Rapunzel has never been confirmed by Disney. When news first broke of the remake, the rumor came from the popularly trusted website The Disinsider. Since then, fans and celebrities have joined together to form opinions on what the movie should look like and who should star in it, but technically speaking, Disney never corroborated the initial rumor even though the studio most likely caught wind of it.
To further our skepticism, the article that initially announced the live-action rumor is no longer available on the Disinsider website. So, while we’d love to believe that the movie is still happening, as of now we have to roll with the facts, and the facts don’t say much. If or when a confirmation (or cancellation) is announced, we will provide an immediate update.
Is the cast of the live-action Rapunzel confirmed?
Just as there has been no official confirmation of the movie, there has been no official confirmation of a cast. However, that hasn’t stopped people from brainstorming potential castings. Even Hollywood came alive with casting rumors ever since February 2020, when the rumor was first announced. Such casting included Amber Heard as Rapunzel, but given the actress’ recent legal debacle with Johnny Depp, that won’t likely come to fruition. Additionally, Punisher star Ben Barnes chimed in on Twitter to say that he’d love to be in the movie. He didn’t specify in what capacity, but by looks alone, he’d be a stellar Flynn Rider. Tom Holland was also rumored to star as Rider, but in an interview with Capital FM he shot that notion down faster than you can say “No Way Home.”
As of now, we have to assume that the future of the live-action Rapunzel depends on Disney’s confirmation of the project. Until then, or until anything concrete is released, it’s safe to assume that the movie is collecting dust on the back burner.
We will update you with more information if and when any becomes available.
