New ‘Tangled’ Set Video Recreates the Animated Film’s Most Beloved Scene, and Fans Are Emotional
Disney’s live-action remakes tend to live or die by a handful of key moments, the scenes so beloved in their animated form that fans immediately judge a new version based on how faithfully those beats get recreated. For ‘Tangled,’ there was really only one scene that was always going to carry that weight.
That scene has now made its way to the live-action set, and footage capturing it has spread rapidly online. New HD video from the production shows Teagan Croft’s Rapunzel getting her hair braided by townspeople, directly recreating one of the most cherished sequences from the 2010 animated film.
The 15-second clip shows Croft, dressed in a purple gown closely resembling Rapunzel’s signature look, standing in the kingdom of Corona as her long blonde hair, recreated with extensive extensions, gets woven into a braid. The scene appears to capture the moment Rapunzel, having finally escaped her tower, gets her hair styled by helpful locals in a sequence that mirrors the animated film’s version down to the colorful flowers woven throughout.
The footage arrives alongside other new material from the Spain shoot, including clips showing Croft moving through a bustling recreation of Corona filled with background extras, suggesting the production is filming one of the story’s larger festival or musical sequences. Additional set photos have also teased what could be a coronation scene, raising questions about whether the remake plans to expand on story beats that were only briefly touched on in the original film’s ending.
Croft’s costume in the new footage has drawn particular attention from fans, with her pink-and-purple dress closely echoing the gown worn by Rapunzel in the animated original. That attention to detail lines up with a broader pattern across the production, which appears to be leaning into a faithful recreation of the source material rather than a drastic reinvention, a strategy that has generally fared better with fans than some of Disney’s more loosely adapted live-action efforts.
Croft leads the cast as Rapunzel alongside Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, with Kathryn Hahn playing the villainous Mother Gothel and Diego Luna also attached in an as-yet-unrevealed role. Michael Gracey, the director behind ‘The Greatest Showman,’ is helming the production, with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson writing the screenplay.
The project has had a winding road to production. It was first announced in December 2024, then placed on indefinite hold in April 2025 following the disappointing box office performance of the live-action ‘Snow White,’ before resuming production in October 2025 in the wake of the blockbuster success of the live-action ‘Lilo & Stitch.’
That stop-and-start history adds extra stakes to how this remake performs once it finally reaches theaters. With Disney’s live-action ‘Moana’ also reportedly struggling commercially and expected to lose well over $100 million by the end of its theatrical run, the studio has clear incentive to make sure ‘Tangled’ connects with both longtime fans and general audiences.
The braiding footage isn’t the only glimpse of Croft in character that has surfaced from the Spanish set. Earlier videos and photos showed her walking through Corona’s streets, and separate images have captured her without the signature braid, suggesting different scenes are being filmed out of the story’s chronological order, as is standard for most film productions. Fans comparing the various looks have noted how seamlessly the production appears to be blending Croft’s natural appearance with the character’s extensive wig work.
‘Tangled’ is currently expected to arrive in theaters in 2028, meaning fans still have a lengthy wait ahead before they can judge the finished film for themselves. For now, though, this glimpse of one of animation’s most iconic scenes coming to life has given the production some of its most enthusiastic reception yet.
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