Well, it finally happened—it looks like the Disney live-action bubble has burst.
March saw the release of Snow White, a film that made headlines from the start. Everything from the casting of the dwarves to the social media posts of the lead actress was called into question. And Disney's worst-case scenario came true: it underperformed at the box office. It was one of Disney's most expensive live-action remakes at a reported $240 million, and has made about $168 million globally at the time of this writing.
This has had a knock-on effect on another planned Disney live-action remake: Tangled. The 2010 animation is one of Disney's most beloved princess movies, telling a story primarily about escaping the clutches of an abusive parent. It spawned a little mini-franchise of its own, with a successful TV series picking up the story and leading fans on a new adventure.
Disney seemingly wanted to get started right away with a Tangled remake. They already had a director in mind: Michael Gracey, the man behind the bombastic Hugh Jackman-starring The Greatest Showman. A script was being written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. But in the wake of Snow White's box office numbers, the project has been put on hold, as reported by Variety.
However, it's important to note that the project isn't canceled altogether. It may yet see the light of day, or be retooled as something else.
Disney is after all putting a lot of faith in their next live-action remake post-Snow White, which is Lilo and Stitch. This film tells the story of a little girl who adopts an adorable but naughty blue alien thinking it's a dog, and teaches him the meaning of family as she navigates life as an orphan being raised by her sister. It's a much-loved family film, and if it fails, it might be the final nail in the coffin for the Disney live-action remakes. So many people are starting to wonder, why should they pay money for a slightly different version of a film they've already seen?
But even after Lilo and Stitch, there's still one more Disney live-action in the pipeline, because of how quick Disney was to capitalize on the trend. This is Moana, and it has a release date of 2026. Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role of Maui while a new actress, Catherine Laga'aia, will take on the role of Moana herself. It's easy to see why Disney is pushing ahead with this because Moana and its sequel made them billions. Yet, it feels way too early to be making a live-action remake of a film that only came out in 2016.
We'll just have to wait and see what happens. But if Lilo and Stitch flops, don't expect a live-action Princess and the Frog or Hunchback of Notre Dame anytime soon, let alone Tangled.