Zachary Levi Officially Addresses Tangled's Live-Action Flynn Rider Casting & Remake

Published Sep 18, 2026, 3:27 PM EDT EXCLUSIVE: After voicing the character Flynn Rider in the 2010 animated film Tangled, actor Zachary Levi is now revealing what he really thinks of Disney's upcoming live-action remake. Tangled is Disney's take on Rapunzel, the classic Brothers Grimm character. As the Mickey Mouse company continues its live-action remakes, Tangled will make the leap from animation to live-action, with Teagan Croft, Milo Manheim and Kathryn Hahn succeeding Mandy Moore, Levi and Donna Murphy as Rapunzel, Flynn Rider and Mother Gothel, respectively. In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley for The Fix, Levi opened up about the Tangled franchise continuing in live-action form, exclaiming that he's "stoked for all those guys." He cares "very deeply" about Tangled, so he wants "everybody to succeed." Levi acknowledged that remakes and sequels don't always work, but he's really hoping that the live-action Tangled is a hit. "I want it to be beautiful. I want audiences to be like, 'I got everything that I loved about the animated movie in that live-action movie,'" he added. "I'm stoked for all those guys. I want everybody to succeed. I want everybody to succeed because I care very deeply about the IP and the world, and the new Flynn Rider, and we all care about that. And I want that live-action movie to be great. Unfortunately, not all of the time that we remake things, whether from animated to another, or we do sequels or whatever, it doesn't always work. And I want them to work. I want it to be beautiful. I want audiences to be like, 'I got everything that I loved about the animated movie in that live-action movie.'" Disney has made multiple live-action remakes over the years, including The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Aladdin, Mulan, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Lilo & Stitch, and Moana. Not all of them were hits, as Levi mentioned. Snow White, for example, only grossed $205.6 million and reportedly lost $170 million; that remake was also mired in controversy, mostly due to the cast members' views on global political conflicts. This year, Disney released a live-action Moana, in which Dwayne Johnson reprises the role of Maui, but its box office returns were underwhelming after earning $321.9 million. Not all the remakes have been flops, though. Lilo & Stitch proved to be a huge hit and grossed $1 billion, leading Disney to greenlight a sequel for May 2028, just two months after Tangled comes out. There are high expectations for the remake, since the original animated Tangled was a box office smash in 2010 when it grossed $592 million and earned a Certified Fresh score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes. During awards season, the film received nominations at the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, and won Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammys. Disney then expanded the franchise with the short film Tangled Ever After, TV movie Tangled: Before Ever After and series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. Come 2028, Tangled will be revisited once more, this time in live-action. Michael Gracey is the director, with the screenplay written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemayor. Levi has voiced Flynn Rider in every animated Tangled project to date. He's also starred in Shazam!, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Chuck, Heroes Reborn, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. His latest film is The Fix, which also stars Liam Neeson and centers on the war in Afghanistan. Levi may not be reprising Flynn in the live-action Tangled, but he's wishing all the success to his successor, Manheim, and the entire cast and crew. Release Date March 31, 2028 Director Michael Gracey Writers Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, Michael Montemayor Producers Michael De Luca, Kristin Burr Tangled is the live-action adaptation of Disney's animated film, bringing the tale of Rapunzel to a new format. While specific plot details remain undisclosed, this adaptation continues the tradition of reimagining Disney's iconic stories for contemporary audiences. Main Genre Fantasy Executive Producer(s) Jessica Virtue, Lucy Kitada, Zoe Kent