Love them or hate them, Disney’s live-action adaptations of their animated classics just keep rolling along. Is it fair to call them “live-action” when they’re so heavily, or entirely CG? That’s a discussion for another time. What’s not up for discussion is when Disney picks a successful trend, they tend to beat it into the ground. That “live-action” remake of “The Lion King” earned 1.6 billion at the box office. And while there were adaptations before that, this success lit a fire that caused other films to be greenlit. Like a new version of “Tangled,” that is currently on indefinite hold.
Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman”) was in talks to direct the live-action version of “Tangled.” The original was a sizable hit for Disney back in 2010, spinning off a series that ran for three seasons on the Disney Channel. Seems like a safe bet for an adaptation, right? Maybe it was before “Snow White” hit theaters.
While there hasn’t been any confirmation as to why the “Tangled” remake has been placed on pause, it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to imagine it’s because of “Snow White.” There has been a ridiculous amount of controversy over the film, but it could also just be the fact that the movie received tepid reviews. It cost around $250 million to make, and it’s not exactly tearing up the box office.
In the wake of this, “Tangled” could be the first victim of a change-up in what projects are going to be moving forward. Disney does have its remake of “Lilo & Stitch” coming up and that’s almost guaranteed to be successful. Disney had a very rough stretch in the 2000s, and this was its brightest spot that struck a chord with audiences and critics. Maybe “Tangled” will get back on track if Stitch turns things around? Or maybe audiences just don’t want to see fairy tales played out again and again. If we hear any further updates on what becomes of “Tangled,” we’ll let you know.
