Disney has selected Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim to star as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in its live-action adaptation of the 2010 animated film Tangled. The project, which faced a brief pause earlier this year, is now advancing under director Michael Gracey. This casting follows a search for leads in the tale of a long-haired princess and her outlaw rescuer.
Disney's live-action remake of Tangled has found its protagonists with the announcement of Teagan Croft as Rapunzel and Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider. The original 2010 animated film, directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, reimagined the Brothers Grimm fairy tale as a pop culture hit, grossing over $590 million worldwide and earning an Oscar nomination for the song "I See the Light." Voiced by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, it spawned a 2012 short Tangled Ever After and the Disney Channel series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.
Development on the live-action version began in December 2024, with Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) attached to direct from a screenplay by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Do Revenge). Kristin Burr (Cruella) is producing, alongside executive producer Lucy Kitada. The project was paused in April 2025 following the underwhelming box office performance of Disney's live-action Snow White, but production has resumed as of last fall. No release date has been set, and plot details remain under wraps.
Croft, an Australian actress known for portraying Raven in the DC series Titans, also starred as teenage sailor Jessica Watson in Netflix's True Spirit. Manheim, familiar to Disney audiences from the Zombies franchise, is the son of actress Camryn Manheim and placed second on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars. Earlier rumors suggested Scarlett Johansson for the role of Mother Gothel, but she is no longer involved.
This adaptation joins Disney's slate of live-action remakes, including recent successes like Lilo & Stitch, which grossed $1 billion in 2025, and the upcoming Moana on July 10. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the casting news.
