Disney scrapped a planned Tangled sequel - and now we know why

The mystery behind Disney's missing Tangled sequel has finally been revealed, sixteen years after Rapunzel let down her hair and stole our hearts. The 2010 princess pic earned nearly $600 million (~£519 million) worldwide, making a follow-up seem like a no-brainer. Yet despite all that box office magic, a theatrical sequel never materialised.

Now, director Nathan Greno has lifted the lid on exactly why the Mouse House shelved plans for Tangled 2 – and it wasn't down to lack of interest or budget constraints. The revelation also comes a few months after Disney confirmed the cast for its upcoming live-action Tangled remake, with Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim stepping into the roless of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider respectively.

Why was Tangled 2 scrapped?

The answer is surprisingly straightforward - nobody could crack the story. Speaking to The Direct whilst promoting his new Netflix animation Swapped, Nathan confirmed that Disney did explore sequel possibilities behind the scenes. But he explained that continuing Rapunzel's story presented a uniquely difficult creative challenge.

"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?" Nathan told The Direct.

Despite that hesitation, the original creative team made a genuine attempt to find the right direction. "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,'" he revealed.

After her transformation from tower-bound captive to liberated princess, Rapunzel's character arc felt complete - and without her signature golden locks - she'd be somewhat unrecognisable with her choppy brunette bob cut. The team simply couldn't nail a compelling reason to revisit her world in feature-length form without forcing a narrative that didn't need to exist.

Instead, Disney released a six-minute short called Tangled Ever After in 2012, and five years later released a 55-minute short Tangled: Before Ever After, followed by Tangled The Series in 2017.

What happens in Tangled?

Released in November 2010, Tangled reimagines the classic German fairy tale Rapunzel as a vibrant musical adventure. The story follows Rapunzel, a long-haired princess with magical golden locks who's been locked away in a secret tower her entire life. When the kingdom's most charming bandit, Flynn Rider, stumbles upon her hideaway whilst on the run, Rapunzel seizes the opportunity to escape and explore the outside world for the first time.

Mandy Moore voices Rapunzel, bringing warmth and determination to the sheltered princess, whilst Zachary Levi lends his wit and charm to the roguish Flynn. Donna Murphy delivers a chilling performance as Mother Gothel, the manipulative woman who's kept Rapunzel imprisoned under the pretence of Rapunzel's mum.

The film was directed by Nathan and Byron Howard, with a screenplay by Dan Fogelman. It was nominated for one Academy Award at the 83rd Academy Awards (2011) for Best Original Song for 'I See the Light' (music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater).

Tangled spin-offs

As mentioned, though a theatrical sequel never materialised, Disney did release Tangled Ever After, a six-minute short in 2012. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi reprised their roles as Rapunzel and Eugene for the wedding-day caper, which sees chameleon Pascal and horse Maximus frantically searching for the missing wedding rings, with Nathan noting this "felt natural."

The franchise continued with Tangled: Before Ever After, a 55-minute 2D-animated TV film that premiered in March 2017. Set between the original film's conclusion and Rapunzel's wedding, the short follows the princess as she adjusts to royal life in Corona whilst discovering the mysterious return of her magical golden hair. Mandy and Zachary returned to voice the lead characters, with the film serving as a pilot for the subsequent series.

This led directly into Tangled: The Series (later retitled Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure) also in 2017, which ran for three seasons. The show expanded Rapunzel's world with new characters including handmaiden Cassandra, voiced by Eden Espinosa. The series explored Rapunzel's adventures beyond the tower as she uncovered the truth about her hair's magic and her kingdom's past.

Where can I watch Tangled?

Tangled and its spin-offs - Tangled Ever After, Tangled: Before Ever After, and Tangled The Series - is currently streaming on Disney+.

The platform also offers a sing-along version complete with on-screen lyrics for fans who want to belt out classics like 'I See the Light'.

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