Disney's plans for a follow-up to the beloved animated fairy tale Tangled were abandoned after the studio struggled to develop a compelling enough story. The Direct spoke exclusively with Nathan Greno, director of the 2010 original, who confirmed that while discussions about a sequel took place, a continuous story made little sense. Greno shared the news while promoting his upcoming Netflix animated film, Swapped, starring MCU veteran Michael B. Jordan, which debuts on the streamer on Friday, May 1.
When asked whether any ideas had ever been developed at Disney for a Tangled sequel, Nathan Greno said there had previously been discussions. The 2010 film was a massive box office success, earning $591.7 million globally, yet a follow-up was never officially greenlit at Disney Animation.
Greno explained that continuing Rapunzel's story is a uniquely difficult creative challenge, drawing comparisons to other beloved Disney classics: "Once Pinocchio becomes a real boy, what else is there to say?"
"No... Again, I'm not against sequels. There was, I will say, after we finished 'Tangled'... It's a tricky place, because I'll put it this way: once Pinocchio becomes a real boy, what else is there to say? Once the Beast becomes a human, what else is there to say?"
Despite that, Greno revealed that the creative team did make a genuine attempt to crack the story; unfortunately, no one at Disney could "find a story worth telling:"
"We actually did an off-site at Disney, and we got the original team together, and we really all talked about it for hours, and we kind of walked away saying, 'We couldn't find a story worth telling.'"
Rather than leaving fans without a resolution, the team channeled their efforts into something of a smaller scope. Greno noted that the 2012 six-minute short Tangled Ever After, which follows Rapunzel and Eugene's wedding day. Greno said that short "felt natural:"
"And so, while I love those characters, and... There was a short that we did the wedding [in], because people come and ask, like, 'Where's the wedding?' So we did do the wedding, because that felt natural. But in general, yeah, there just wasn't a story that I could find."
Despite no proper sequel, there's plenty of Tangled offerings on Disney+, including the original film, a 2022 sing-along version, the wedding short Tangled Ever After, the 2D TV movie Tangled Before Ever After, the animated series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, and its companion shorts collection Tangled: The Series - Short Cuts.
In the grand scheme of things, it's an amazing time to be a Tangled fan, as a live-action remake is in development. The upcoming film features Teagan Croft as the golden-haired Rapunzel, Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, and Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel, reportedly replacing Scarlett Johansson.
For the new Flynn Rider actor, Manheim described the role to The Direct as a lifelong dream, acknowledged he's still early in developing his take on the character but promised fans he will "honor it the best [he] can."
The Greatest Showman director, Michael Gracey, is taking the reins from Greno as the new director of Tangled. While no release date has been set, filming is expected to start this summer, and a mid-to-late 2027 release in theaters seems possible.
Greno was also asked about the Tangled remake. Rather than weigh in directly on the casting, he expressed his hesitation about the project, admitting that he's not sure of the creative approach they are taking or if they will be sticking closely to the original material:
"Well, I'm not sure the approach. We've seen these remakes where they kind of stick to the original, and we've seen things where they kind of do something else. There's a lot of different approaches with these remakes."
Greno got candid about where his own creative passion truly lies. While acknowledging that sequels and follow-ups can work, pointing to Toy Story 2 as a prime example, he also highlighted his excitement for continuations in the 1980s:
"I mean, for me, I'll be honest with you... Growing up in the '80s, there were a lot of sequels that I was excited about. Like, truly excited. Like, another 'Indiana Jones,' this is amazing. Another Star Wars, this is incredible. But to me, I think what speaks to my passion is original storytelling, and while I think there's... I mean, 'Toy Story 2' is that like one of the best movies ever?"
He wrapped up by applauding original storytelling, like Ryan Coogler's Sinners, as for Greno, that is what gets him most excited:
"But I'll say, to create something new, especially in our current environment, to put that out there, that's the most exciting thing to me. And so, what I'm looking forward to as movies continue, like something like 'Sinners,' hugely original, and look at the way that captured audiences. That's what I'm excited about."
