Actress Kathryn Hahn has confirmed that she will portray the villain Mother Gothel in The Walt Disney Companyโs upcoming live-action remake of Tangled.
The Tiny Beautiful Things star announced the casting in a playful video posted on Instagram. In the clip, Hahn revealed the news while wearing a t-shirt decorated with several images of the animated villain Mother Gothel.
During the video, Hahn also joked that she had only recently discovered what the abbreviation โOOTDโ meansโโOutfit of the Dayโ. The reveal had an added humorous twist, as her Instagram username since joining the platform has been @motherhahn. Mother Gothel serves as the primary antagonist in Tangled. The manipulative character keeps Princess Rapunzel locked away in a remote tower, so she can exploit the magical healing power found in the princessโs long golden hair. The live-action adaptation will feature Teagan Croft as Rapunzel.ย
Meanwhile, Milo Manheimโknown for his role in the Zombies seriesโhas been cast as Flynn Rider, the charismatic thief who becomes Rapunzelโs partner on her journey.ย The project will be directed by Michael Gracey, who previously helmed the musical hit The Greatest Showman. The screenplay is being written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, whose past work includes Do Revenge and Someone Great.ย Production will be overseen by Kristin Burr through Burr! Productions, while Lucy Kitada will serve as executive producer.
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Earlier reports had linked the role of Mother Gothel to two-time Academy Award nominee Scarlett Johansson. However, scheduling conflictsโincluding commitments to projects such as The Batman Part II and a new reboot of The Exorcistโprevented her from taking on the part.
The original animated Tangled was released in 2010 and directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard. The film became a major box-office success, earning over $590 million worldwide.
It featured voice performances by Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider, with Donna Murphy voicing Mother Gothel.ย Inspired by the classic Rapunzel story from Brothers Grimm, the film also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for I See the Light, written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.
The new Tangled remake is part of Disneyโs broader strategy of producing live-action versions of its animated classics. Another film in that lineup is the live-action adaptation of Moana, which will star Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia and is scheduled to arrive in theatres in July.ย
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