Scarlett Johansson is reportedly being eyed for the role of Mother Gothel in Disney’s live-action remake of Tangled.
The Avengers star is in talks to potentially play the youth-obsessed villain, who was voiced by Donna Murphy in the 2010 animated musical fantasy adventure.
Deadline reports Disney has resumed early development on their planned live-action adaptation of the CGI-animated film based on the German fairy tale of the same name, originally from the Brothers Grimm.
Michael Gracey, director of The Greatest Showman, has been tapped to direct a script by Thor: Love and Thunder writer Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
Development on the live-action Tangled was paused back in April following the disappointing box-office performance of the studio’s Snow White remake, which grossed $205 million against a budget upward of $270 million. Snow White’s failure and poor cultural reception was a shock to the system for the House of Mouse, which previously saw great financial success by remaking their most beloved animated films.
However, the company’s most recent live-action re-imagining, Lilo & Stitch, was a box-office smash, earning over $1 billion globally against a $100 million budget since its release in May.
Now, it seems Disney is ready to let down their hair again when it comes to live-action remakes.
READ MORE: Dark and Disturbing Scenes From Animated Disney Movies
Released in November 2010, and featuring the voice talents of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, and Murphy, Tangled follows a young woman with long, magical hair who goes on an adventure to find out her true identity after a thief discovers her trapped in a hidden tower.
The movie was a massive hit, earning $592 million at the global box office and sparking Disney’s modern animation revival alongside 2009’s The Princess and the Frog.
As for who could end up playing Rapunzel if Disney’s live-action Tangled moves into production, some names such as Sabrina Carpenter and Florence Pugh have been floating around among fans, though no actual casting news has been revealed.
In September, supermodel Gigi Hadid revealed that she auditioned for the role of the Disney princess before development on the live-action film was paused earlier this year.
Hadid even took singing lessons to prepare for her audition. “I was really proud of my scene. The singing … I knew they were going to go with a real singer,” she shared, according to Variety.
The live-action Tangled has not yet been officially green lit.
Lost Disney Animated Movies That Were Never Made
From scrapped princess movies to sequels that never panned out, fans will sadly never see these lost Disney animated movies.
Gallery Credit: Erica Russell
