Though there's been no official announcements (and probably won't be until the strikes come to an end), we've been hearing quite a lot about Disney's (potential) plans for a live-action remake of 2010's Tangled over the past few weeks, and this latest rumor is claiming that the House of Mouse may be zeroing in on a director.
According to insider Daniel Richtman, none other than Baz Luhrmann (Elvis, The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge) is being eyed to helm the project. Richtman also reiterates a recent rumor that Florence Pugh (Hawkeye, Oppenheimer) is in contention to play the lead role of Rapunzel.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods star Zachary Levi, who voiced Flynn Rider in the original animated retelling of Rapunzel, recently expressed interest in playing a live-action take on the character.
"And If Florence plays Rapunzel, what about me? Which would also be a trip because my real last name is Pugh, p-u-g-h, Zachary Levi Pugh, so you’d have pew-pew noise in Tangled. Come on!”
Though Richtman is usually pretty reliable, this report has been refuted by industry vet Jeff Sneider.
It's worth noting that Richtman never said Luhrmann had actually signed on to direct, only that Disney was pursuing him. Would it really be so far-fetched for the filmmaker to take the helm of a live-action Disney movie? He does love his musicals, after all!
The original Tangled was only loosely based on Rapunzel, and told the story of a beautiful princess who has been "locked away in a tower since she was captured as a baby by an old hag. Her magical long blonde hair has the power to provide eternal youth, and the evil Gothel uses this power to keep her young. At the age of 18, Rapunzel becomes curious about the outside world, and when a prince uses her tower as a refuge, she asks him to help her escape."
Tangled isn't usually held up as one of Disney's better animated efforts, but it's well worth a watch if you haven't seen it, and the story would lend itself well to a live-action retelling.