Disney’s one live-action remake that fans actually wanted crumbles after ‘Snow White’ crashes and burns
As Snow White continues to snail its way through the box office, the bad reviews it has attracted (from both critics and the audience) and the financial bomb it is shaping up to be, Disney has taken a tough decision — to shelve the one Disney princess who has managed to toe the line between love and hate so far.
Though the House of Mouse is yet to officially confirm it, The Hollywood Reporter has learned from studio insiders that in the wake of Snow White’s disastrous performance, Disney has decided to indefinitely pause the production of Tangled, the 2010 animated film that was next in line to get the live-action remake treatment. The studio had already got The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey on the project based on a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (who also penned the script of Thor: Love and Thunder, a choice that has already cost Disney the millions it dreamt of making through the Marvel film).
Like always, Disney fans were divided on the topic; some in favor of the live-action remake, while others disliked the mere idea. But for once, there was a balance between the two factions, even moments where the majority couldn’t help but fan-cast Rapunzel and, most importantly, Flynn Rider.
But after Snow White’s lacklustre box office numbers — $69 million domestically and $145 million globally against a budget of $270 million — Disney is pulling the reins on their belief that beloved animated Disney princesses mean blockbuster live-action movies. Of course, the Rachel Zegler starrer was plagued with many issues other than the live-action remake fatigue and the fact that the film’s story strayed too far away from the original story.
It is unclear at the moment what the future looks like for Tangled, whether it will be cancelled, get a new script and/or director, or simply move forward if Disney’s upcoming live-action remakes — Lilo & Stitch and Moana — manage to escape the fate of Snow White. The studio has high hopes for the two films, especially since Lilo & Stitch’s trailer ended up being the second-most-watched Disney live-action trailer. The optimism for Moana skews dangerously towards the blind faith the studio had in the ever-preserving love the fandom has for Disney princesses, as the animated Moana and Moana 2 were massive hits.
Even though Disney has never teased that their many princesses exist in the same universe, ample fan theories out there have made it possible. The same is the case with Snow White and Rapunzel, where the similarities between the enchanted forests in both stories gave rise to the speculation that Rapunzel’s tower could be hidden in the same woods where Snow White seeks safety from the Evil Queen. Looks like, other than seemingly influencing the aesthetics of Rapunzel’s world, Snow White has now altered its fate to match its bad luck.
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