Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, the original ‘Tangled’ starred Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, a spirited young princess with magical, golden hair who escapes from her isolated tower for the first time to experience the world, embarking on an adventure with a charming thief (Zachary Levi), only to discover her true identity and face the dangerous truth about the woman called Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) who kept her captive.
The 50th film released by Disney’s feature animated arm, it had a script from Dan Fogelman, who would go on to create TV hit ‘This is Us.’
The movie was a huge success with both critics and audiences, grossed over $590 million worldwide, scored an Oscar nomination for original song “I See the Light,” and was among the films revitalizing Disney’s princess genre for a new generation.
Who is working on the ‘Tangled’ live-action movie?
(L to R) Hugh Jackman and director Michael Gracey on the set of ‘The Greatest Showman’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
While casting is still at a very early stage, the movie has ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Better Man’ director Michael Gracey still attached to call the shots, working from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson based on the animated version.
Where else can we see Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim?
(Left) Teagan Croft as Rachel Roth / Raven in ‘Titans’. Photo: DC Entertainment / Warner Bros. Television. (Right) Milo Manheim at the Los Angeles Fan Screening for Tristar Pictures and Spyglass Media Group’s ‘Thanksgiving’ at Vista Theatre on November 14, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Sony Pictures.
Croft may perhaps be best known for playing Raven in the DC series ‘Titans’, which ran from 2018 to 2023.
She also starred in the Australian movie ‘True Spirit,’ portraying Jessica Watson, the teenage sailor who attempted a solo journey to circumnavigate the globe.
Manheim, the son of actress Camryn Manheim, showed his musical chops over the course of four ‘Zombies’ movies, the popular franchise that combines the undead with snappy songs about being in love and an outsider. In addition to also starring in Paramount+ series ‘School Spirits,’ he starred as Seymour in a revival of ‘Little Shop of Horrors.’
When will the live-action ‘Tangled’ be on screens?
Disney has yet to confirm a release date for the movie, though since it appears to be gearing up for a shoot this year, a 2027 premiere seems likely.
(Left) Scarlett Johansson in ‘My Mother’s Wedding’. Photo: Vertical. (Right) Donna Murphy as Mother Gothel in ‘Tangled’. Photo: Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Preview:
Disney is putting a live-action ‘Tangled’ back into development.
Scarlett Johansson is circling the role of Mother Gothel.
‘The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey remains attached to direct.
What a difference a hit makes.
While Disney had been looking to add ‘Tangled’ to its roster of animated-to-live-action conversion movies, development on the film was paused back in April when ‘Snow White’ failed to be the fairest (or most successful) of them all at the box office.
But now, in the wake of ‘Lilo & Stitch’ making more than $1.3 billion, it is back on track, though without a formal greenlight.
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And it also appears to represent a thawing of relations between Scarlett Johansson and the studio, who despite suing over earnings from ‘Black Widow’, has remained attached via a producing deal and now, via Deadline, is circling the role of Mother Gothel.
Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, the original ‘Tangled’ starred Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, a spirited young princess with magical, golden hair who escapes from her isolated tower for the first time to experience the world, embarking on an adventure with a charming thief (Zachary Levi), only to discover her true identity and face the dangerous truth about the woman called Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) who kept her captive.
The 50th film released by Disney’s feature animated arm, it had a script from Dan Fogelman, who would go on to create TV hit ‘This is Us.’
The movie was a huge success with both critics and audiences, grossed over $590 million worldwide, scored an Oscar nomination for original song “I See the Light,” and was among the films revitalizing Disney’s princess genre for a new generation.
Who is working on the ‘Tangled’ live-action movie?
(L to R) Hugh Jackman and director Michael Gracey on the set of ‘The Greatest Showman’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
While casting is still at a very early stage, the movie has ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Better Man’ director Michael Gracey still attached to call the shots, working from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson based on the animated version.
Where else can we see Scarlett Johansson?
(L to R) Scarlett Johansson and June Squibb on the set of ‘Eleanor the Great’ Image: Anne Joyce. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Opening in theaters in wide release on January 10th is the new musical biopic ‘Better Man’, which is based on the life and career of Robbie Williams, who is depicted in the movie as a anthropomorphic chimpanzee.
(L to R) Director Michael Gracey and Robbie Williams talk ‘Better Man’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Robbie Williams and director Michael Gracey to talk about their work on ‘Better Man’, how Williams felt about the process, developing the screenplay, the idea to have Williams depicted as a chimpanzee, using CGI to achieve that effect, shooting the concert scenes, and if there was anything too personal for Williams to include in the movie.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Williams, Gracey, Jonno Davis and Raechelle Banno.
Robbie Williams in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
Moviefone: To begin with, Robbie, can you talk about what this process of working with Michael to tell your life story on the big screen has been like for you?
Robbie Williams: It’s been all the feels. It has been an honor and such an incredible opportunity for me, my family, my career, my life, my ego, my sense of self-worth. It’s been all the above, and plus, I know Michael and people know him from his work outside of ‘The Greatest Showman’ too, and they know he’s a genius. The fact that he asked me and thought that I was a viable option to do this, it was just too much of a good opportunity to pass.
Director Michael Gracey on the set of ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
MF: Michael, can you talk about the development of the screenplay, the interviews you conducted with Robbie, and at what point did you have the idea to depict Robbie as a chimpanzee?
Michael Gracey: Well, the stories were obviously really engaged with me. The thing I loved about the stories, which is why Rob’s voiceover is in the final film, is that I always loved the way in which Rob expressed his own narrative. He has a very wonderful way of telling a story, whether that’s through his lyrics or whether he’s just talking. So that was the inspiration for the script. Then, again, I just wanted to come at it with a more unique angle. I think Rob’s story is quite unique. I think as a person, he is quite unique, and so I just thought there should be something a little more surprising in the way that we present the film. So, I came up with the idea of the monkey, but you should always make it the star’s idea. So, I went to Rob, and I said, if you were going to be represented by an animal, what would it be? And Rob said…
Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
Robbie Williams: A lion. This was not the right answer, not the right answer on many levels, and Michael went, “Mm.” I went, “A monkey.” He went, “Yeah, okay. Here’s the idea.”
Michael Gracey directs Raechelle Banno on the set of Paramount Pictures’ ‘Better Man’.
Michael Gracey: To be fair, I hadn’t even finished the next sentence when I was describing what it would be to have Rob played by a monkey, and that no one would ever mention it. Rob was immediately on board. Rob was the easiest sell, then everyone else after Rob was the hardest sell ever.
Jonno Davies and Robbie Williams as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
MF: Robbie, I was really touched by the father-son element in the movie. What was it like for you watching those scenes, and did you ever feel like there was anything too personal for you to include in this movie and share with audiences?
Robbie Williams: Not too personal for me, but maybe too personal for the people involved. It may not have happened in that order, and my father may not be completely that way, but everything was how it felt, and everything was how it feels. The unusual thing is that typical northern English family dynamic is that we don’t talk about anything. The unusual thing about my life is I talk about everything, and not only do I talk about everything, but it’s also projected for the world to see. So, it’s highly unusual and difficult.
(L to R) Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” and Nick Nicolas as “Tom Jones” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
Moviefone: Finally, Michael, can you talk about shooting the concert sequences and working with the mocap technology to create the lead character?
Michael Gracey: So, the mocap technology, Weta Digital made it very seamless. In fact, the technical side of it never interrupted anything, performance-wise, and they were just incredible. They were incredible, the artists that came on board, but also the on-set crew that we had capturing all that data that ended up being the performance of the monkey, all based on Jonno Davies. Concert sequences, we were very fortunate to have a real-life rock star, so he threw multiple concerts, which we took over and then got the shots we needed at Royal Albert Hall and at stadiums in Melbourne. So, they were real crowds, and it feels like real crowds, and for the performers, them up on stage with thousands of people in front of them screaming and cheering, it just makes it electric. So, there’s a real energy to those concert performance.
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What’s the plot of ‘Better Man’?
‘Better Man’ is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
The film is told from Robbie’s perspective. It follows his journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist –– all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
Opening in theaters on December 25th, ‘Better Man’ is a distinctly unconventional music biopic (at least in one respect), since it portrays British singer and pop star Robbie Williams as a CG simian for its entire running time.
Directed by ‘The Greatest Showman’s Michael Gracey, it tells the performer’s story with humor, heart and no little sense of honesty, since it lets Williams reveal his inner demons even as his fame takes off like a rocket.
Does ‘Better Man’ sing its song effectively?
Jonno Davies and Robbie Williams as Robbie Williams in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
We have seen a glut of musical biopics in the last few years, primarily driven by the box office and Oscar-winning success of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ in 2018. But while that movie chose to smooth off many of its subject’s raw edges and did Freddie Mercury no favors in its portrayal, ‘Better Man’ heads off on a different path.
Certainly, there are the landmarks we expect to visit along the way in a coming-of-fame story such as this –– the humble upbringing, the first taste of success, the troubled parentage of so many big stars.
‘Better Man,’ while it contains plenty of that, is also, like the much-dismissed ‘Rocket Man,’ which gave Elton John more of warts-and-all treatment, infused with Williams’ cheeky delivery and performing style, but manages to do a solid job of peeking beneath the brash exterior to find the haunted, self-doubting soul within, while still being riotously entertaining.
Script and Direction
Director Michael Gracey on the set of ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
The screenplay, by Oliver Cole, Simon Gleeson and director Michael Gracey runs the gamut from the standard biopic stuff to some inventive and emotional moments drawn from Williams’ own life, while selectively choosing which chunks to dramatize.
Naturally, not everything makes the cut and with Williams providing the voice and rights in order for the movie to happen, there are moments where you feel his trying to excuse certain things. Those are very few and far between, though as the major takeaway from the script is its painful honesty about how much Williams has dealt with –– and continues to deal with –– in his life.
Some performers hide from their problems while singing on stage; not Williams, who has always faced his demons (here represented as younger versions of himself threatening him from the audience). He’s not afraid to detail his addictions and indiscretions and the whole effect draws you to empathize far more with him than a simple hagiography might.
As director, Gracey (who previously made ‘The Greatest Showman’ certainly knows when and how to deploy the musical moments, and stages them effectively, with certain sequences such as Williams’ song ‘Angels’ tied to his grandmother’s death proving actually moving. Though the occasional moment dives a tough too far into sensationalism (such as a chaotic battle between the singer and his various past incarnations, a literal battle with his demons), this is more than the sum of its parts.
Cast and Performances
Williams is of course the focus here, but there are some wonderful supporting performances that help to bring his world to life.
Robbie Williams as Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
With Jonno Davies providing the performance capture and much of the dancing for the “Williams” ape character when he’s an adult (combined with Williams’ vocals and voice work during the non-musical moments), the simian take on the singer feels authentically him, capturing his essence and boasting some fantastic effects work from the Weta team, who after all have no small experience with this sort of creature animation thanks to the ‘Planet of the Apes’ movie.
It’s most impressive that you stop thinking of “Robbie” as an effect and simply buy him as an avatar do for the singer before long.
Pemberton, a veteran British comic performer (and one part of the League of Gentlemen troupe), is both heartbreaking and heartwarming as Williams’ father, one of the key elements in his life. He left the family when Williams was young, but despite their estrangement, their complicated relationship is a huge part of what drives the man.
(L to R) Raechelle Banno as “Nicole Appleton” and Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
One of Williams’ great loves, the singer/songwriter and member of girl group All Saints is brought to welcome life by Banno. While she’s sometimes reduced to being a predictable musical biopic partner, their connection is more complicated, and Banno more than makes you see why Williams might have fallen for her beyond looks.
Smith was the man who put boy band Take That together and launched Williams on his path to stardom –– even as the pair were oil and water (and there are some inventive, filthy descriptions for the manager, which we can’t repeat here). Herriman doesn’t always have much to do other than be the frustrated, pushy authority figure early one, but he does get some nuance.
Alison Steadman as “Betty” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
One of the emotional support pillars for Williams through his younger life, Steadman’s performance as his grandmother is wonderful –– authentic and powerful, fully setting you up to feel as he does when she passes away.
Supporting Cast
The rest of the cast is a mixture of solid-but-surface-level portrayals of the other members of Take That and some more layered characters, such as Kate Mulvany as Janet, Robbie’s mother and Frazer Hadfield as Nate, his best mate. They in particular get some juicier scenes interacting with our troubled central figure.
Final Thoughts
Jonno Davies and Robbie Williams as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.
Once you are past the cognitive dissonance brought on by having a CG chimp play the central character through the entire film, the story settles into being a frank and funny account of Robbie Williams’ life.
The movie itself may struggle slightly with American audiences, since Williams, for all his star power, has never been quite as well known here as he is at home. Still, if you let yourself go with the flow, this is a truly fascinating example of the musical biopic genre with enough invention and sheer charm to carry it through.
Let him entertain you. You may also find yourself moved at times.
‘Better Man’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the plot of ‘Better Man’?
‘Better Man’ is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
The film is told from Robbie’s perspective. It follows his journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist –– all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Disney is adding ‘Tangled’ to its animated-to-live-action conversion catalogue.
‘The Greatest Showman’ director Michael Gracey is in talks to handle the movie.
Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is writing the script.
Having enjoyed a fair amount of success turning its animated back catalogue into live-action movies, Disney is looking to turn that cash geyser on once more.
At least, according to Deadline, which reports that the studio is now putting a live-action version of 2010’s ‘Tangled’ into development.
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The original animated adventure, which adapts the classic Brothers Grimm tale about the young woman with the long flowing locks whose hair helps her escape imprisonment in a tower, is just the latest film making the move from animation to live-action (or at least live-action with some CG).
And director Michael Gracey is the man in talks to make it all happen.
What’s the story of ‘Tangled’?
2010’s ‘Tangled’. Photo: Walt Disney Studios.
Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, the original ‘Tangled’ starred Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, a spirited young princess with magical, golden hair who escapes from her isolated tower for the first time to experience the world, embarking on an adventure with a charming thief (Zachary Levi), only to discover her true identity and face the dangerous truth about the woman (Donna Murphy) who kept her captive.
The 50th film released by Disney’s feature animated arm, it had a script from Dan Fogelman, who would go on to create TV hit ‘This is Us.’
The movie was a huge success with both critics and audiences, grossed over $590 million worldwide, scored an Oscar nomination for original song “I See the Light,” and was among the films revitalizing Disney’s princess genre for a new generation.
Composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater were behind the film’s music.
Despite its big impact, the film has yet to spur a sequel. According to producer Ray Conli, it wasn’t for want of pressure from the studio.
“There was a desire to somehow take it into a filmic sequel. But the directors weren’t really interested in doing that. Her hair was gone! There you go!”
Still, there was ‘Tangled Ever After,’ a short that played before a 3D theatrical re-release of ‘Beauty and the Beast ‘and on the Disney Channel, and the Disney Channel animated series ‘Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.’
The new movie has seemingly been in development for a while, as Deadline’s report mentions that Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who contributed to the script for ‘Thor: Love & Thunder’ and wrote/directed Netflix’s ‘Do Revenge,’ wrote the most recent draft of the new ‘Tangled’s script.
Disney has naturally not commented on the new movie, so casting is likely a ways off. But with Gracey closing in on a deal, we’d expect announcements to come soon.
While neither Moore nor Levi (he especially given his political views) are likely to return for much more than cameos, some (including Levi) have suggested ‘Dune’ and ‘A Complete Unknown’s Timothée Chalamet as a potential Flynn.
That said, he seems unlikely to tackle the job.
Fans, meanwhile, have been talking up the combo of Disney channel veteran (and current pop star) Sabrina Carpenter as Rapunzel and ‘Red White and Royal Blue’s Taylor Zakhar Perez.
We’ll have to wait and see who ends up in the key roles.
Much more important in our opinion is finding the right horse (real or CG) to play Maximus, the stubborn, sarcastic horse who steals the movie from under the main characters.
(L to R) Hugh Jackman and director Michael Gracey on the set of ‘The Greatest Showman’. Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Gracey right now is best known for his zeitgeisty directorial debut, ‘The Greatest Showman,’ one of the highest grossing live-action musicals of all time, starring Hugh Jackman as P.T. Barnum, which took in more than $435 million worldwide and earned a number of major accolades, including a Grammy and a Golden Globe.
The film’s soundtrack in particular became a big sensations, with the likes of “The Greatest Show” and “This Is Me” –– co-written by ‘La La Land’ Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul –– turning into crossover pop hits.
Gracey co-wrote, directed and produced ‘Better Man,’ a semi-autobiographical musical about British pop icon Robbie Williams, in which he’s portrayed as a chimpanzee through some impressive visual effects.
What other animated-to-live-action conversions does Disney have on the way?
