Disney’s Live-Action ‘Tangled’ Just Locked in Its Entire Royal Family – Here’s Who’s Playing Who

Disney’s parade of live-action fairy tale remakes shows no signs of slowing down, and its next target is one of the studio’s most beloved modern classics. ‘Tangled‘ has been quietly building toward its own theatrical reimagining for years, weathering delays and shifting timelines along the way.

That patience paid off this past weekend, when Disney used its D23 showcase to finally pull back the curtain on the project in a major way. Fans got their first proper look at footage, a confirmed release date, and, most importantly, a wave of casting news that fills in nearly every major role left unaccounted for.

Caitríona Balfe, the ‘Outlander’ star and five-time Golden Globe nominee, has been cast as Queen Arianna, Rapunzel’s long-lost mother. The announcement came via Deadline, confirming months of speculation that had already been fueled by set photos spotted earlier in production.

Balfe joins King Frederic, now confirmed to be played by Elliot Cowan, known for his work on ‘The Crown.’ Rounding out the villainous side of the cast are Patrick and Hugo McPherson, the twin actors behind Pear, who will play the Stabbington twins.

One name that had fans buzzing well before D23 was Diego Luna, whose involvement in the project had been confirmed but whose role remained a mystery for months. That mystery is now solved: Luna isn’t stepping into an existing ‘Tangled’ role at all, but rather playing an entirely new character created specifically for this adaptation named Hawthorne.

That approach mirrors what Disney has done with other live-action remakes in recent years, expanding on original stories with fresh characters rather than simply recreating the animated version scene for scene. Given Luna’s range, from ‘Andor’ to his earlier film work, his addition suggests Hawthorne could carry real narrative weight rather than serving as a background addition.

These new names join a cast that was already partially in place. Teagan Croft leads the film as Rapunzel, with Milo Manheim playing Flynn Rider and Kathryn Hahn taking on the role of Mother Gothel, Rapunzel’s manipulative captor.

Disney confirmed ‘Tangled’ will arrive in theaters on March 31, 2028, alongside the D23 announcement. The film is being directed by Michael Gracey, whose credits include ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Better Man,’ working from a screenplay by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemayor.

Kristin Burr and Michael De Luca are producing. Production is already underway, having kicked off this summer in Alicante, Spain, following a turbulent stretch in 2025 when the project was reportedly paused before resuming in the wake of ‘Snow White’s’ rocky reception.

Arianna, in particular, is a role that carries more emotional weight than screen time might suggest. In the original 2010 animated film, the character has relatively little dialogue, yet she anchors the story’s ending as the mother reunited with a daughter believed lost for 18 years. Casting a performer with Balfe’s dramatic pedigree signals that Gracey wants that reunion to land with real emotional heft.

The stakes for getting that moment right are tied to the original film’s legacy. The animated ‘Tangled’ grossed roughly $592 million worldwide against a production budget of about $260 million, making it the most expensive animated film ever made at the time of its release.

With the parents, villains, and a brand-new character all locked into place, Disney’s live-action ‘Tangled’ now has nearly its full ensemble in position more than a year and a half before release. Between Balfe’s casting, Cowan stepping into Frederic’s crown, and Luna’s mysterious new addition to the kingdom of Corona, this remake looks determined to expand its world rather than simply retrace it.

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