It looks like Disney is making at least one notable tweak to the ending of its upcoming live-action Tangled reboot — and fans are already weighing in.
The live-action Tangled was announced in December 2024, with Teagan Croft set to play Rapunzel opposite Milo Manheim's Flynn Rider. Kathryn Hahn is on board as Mother Gothel, Star Wars actor Diego Luna has joined the cast in an undisclosed role, and Michael Gracey — best known for directing The Greatest Showman (2017) — is at the helm.
Production is well underway in Girona, Spain, where Disney is making the most of the city's colorful medieval architecture. Because filming has been taking place out in the open, an unusual amount of on-set footage has already made its way online — including glimpses of the scene in which Corona's young residents braid Rapunzel's hair, Flynn's theft of the lost princess's royal crown, and what appears to be the film's ending.
A Small but Meaningful Change to the Finale
With so much footage circulating, fans have gotten a fairly clear look at how certain scenes will play out. One of those is the emotional moment near the end of the story in which Rapunzel finally reunites with her parents after escaping Mother Gothel's grasp for good.
In the footage, Outlander star Caitriona Balfe plays the Queen, while the King is portrayed by an actor who has not yet been officially identified (some fans have theorized it could be Diego Luna). What's caught people's attention, though, is how the reunion unfolds differently from the 2010 animated film.
Rather than the royal couple spontaneously pulling Flynn into their embrace — as happens in the original animation — it appears that in the live-action version, Rapunzel herself will introduce Flynn to her parents. It's a small change, but one that some fans have praised as giving Rapunzel more agency than she had in the animated film. Other Disney remakes have taken similar approaches with their female leads: Aladdin expanded Jasmine's political ambitions, while Beauty and the Beast recast Belle as an inventor.
What Other Changes Have Been Spotted?
This isn't the only difference fans have noticed. Disney appears to have changed Corona's colors from royal purple to blue for the live-action reboot — a small detail that nonetheless sparked significant backlash online. Rapunzel's final haircut also looks slightly different from the animated version.
On the other hand, Rapunzel's dress and Flynn Rider's outfit are reported to be extremely similar to their animated counterparts.
The Tricky Balance of Disney Remakes
Disney has faced criticism in the past when its remakes departed too sharply from beloved originals. Mulan (2020) removed Mushu, Li Shang, and the original film's songs, while Snow White (2025) rewrote the romance and replaced the animated dwarfs with photorealistic CGI characters.
But staying too close to the source has drawn its own complaints. The Lion King (2019) recreated the 1994 film almost scene for scene, yet its realistic animals lacked the expressive charm of the original characters. Beauty and the Beast (2017) was similarly criticized for repeating familiar beats without enough new purpose. More recently, this year's live-action Moana reboot flopped at the box office amid complaints that it failed to improve upon the animation in any meaningful way.
Despite all of that, fans have expressed apprehensive optimism about the Tangled remake so far.
Are you excited for the live-action Tangled? Let us know in the comments!