Scarlett Johansson may join Disney’s live-action ‘Tangled’ as Mother Gothel

Disney has resumed early development on its live-action remake of “Tangled”, with Scarlett Johansson reportedly circling the role of the villainous Mother Gothel, according to industry insiders.

The project, directed by The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey, features a screenplay by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and is based on Disney’s 2010 animated hit.

Production on the remake was initially paused in April 2025, following Disney’s cautious response to the underwhelming performance of its Snow White live-action adaptation. However, optimism has returned after recent box office successes from remakes like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Lilo & Stitch—the latter grossing over $1.03 billion globally, making it the highest-earning MPA release of 2025 so far.

While Disney has yet to officially greenlight “Tangled”, early talks indicate the studio is confident about revisiting its modern-era animated classics. The 2010 version of Tangled earned nearly $600 million worldwide and told the story of Rapunzel, a young woman with magical hair who escapes her tower with the help of a charming thief, discovering freedom and her true identity.

The live-action project is part of Disney’s ongoing strategy to reinterpret beloved stories through a contemporary lens, while also investing in new intellectual properties like Impossible Creatures.

Scarlett Johansson, a two-time Oscar nominee, has had a standout year. Her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, received a six-minute standing ovation at Cannes and holds a 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. She also starred in The Phoenician Scheme and Jurassic World Rebirth, the latter grossing $867.9 million worldwide.

Johansson’s films have collectively earned over $17.7 billion at the global box office.