Disney's live-action remake strategy has given fans plenty to debate, but one upcoming movie is starting to make a surprisingly strong first impression.
Tangled (2028) won't arrive for another year and a half, and there is still plenty Disney hasn't shown. Yet the glimpses coming from production are beginning to answer one of the biggest questions surrounding the remake.
Can Disney capture what made Tangled (2010) special without simply copying it?
Teagan Croft may be helping provide that answer. The latest look at the actress as Rapunzel isn't a dramatic trailer or carefully staged character poster. It's much simpler than that, but it may reveal exactly why her casting could work.
Rapunzel Comes to Life Away From the Cameras
Fandango recently shared a video showing Croft dressed as Rapunzel while dancing around a parking lot.
She wears a floor-length purple dress and Rapunzel's extremely long blonde hair, but there's one decidedly less royal addition: white Crocs.
Those probably aren't making it into the finished movie.
The casual moment matters for another reason. Croft looks playful, energetic, and comfortable embracing the sillier side of the character.
That's a major part of Rapunzel's appeal in Tangled (2010). She isn't defined only by her hair, tower, or romance with Flynn Rider. Rapunzel can move quickly between excitement, fear, awkwardness, determination, and outright silliness.
Disney needs more than someone who resembles the animated character. It needs an actress who can capture that personality.
This brief video suggests Croft understands that part of the assignment.
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Fans Have Already Seen Pieces Coming Together
The Fandango video joins a growing collection of glimpses from the production.
Filming has been underway in Spain, where photos and videos have captured Croft alongside Milo Manheim, who plays Flynn Rider. Those unofficial looks have shown costumes, locations, and Rapunzel's enormous braided hair.
Disney offered audiences another look during D23 in August.
Footage featured Rapunzel's signature blonde hair before revealing Croft, while Kathryn Hahn appeared as Mother Gothel. Hahn has also spoken positively about the chemistry between Croft and Manheim.
Together, those glimpses are creating a clearer picture of Disney's approach.
Michael Gracey remains attached as director, while Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is writing the screenplay. Croft, Manheim, and Hahn lead the familiar characters into live action when Tangled (2028) arrives on March 31, 2028.
Looking Right Is Only Half the Battle
Disney shouldn't have much trouble recreating the recognizable imagery from Tangled (2010).
Rapunzel's tower can rise again. Her hair can glow. Corona can return, and Disney can fill the sky with lanterns.
Recreating the movie's personality presents a much bigger challenge.
That's why the footage of Croft matters. Between official material, filming photos, and candid moments, she isn't coming across as a dramatically reworked version of Rapunzel.
Instead, Disney appears interested in preserving the traits audiences already associate with her.
Croft dancing around in costume may seem insignificant, but Rapunzel needs that goofy energy. She can't simply look like the animated princess.
She needs to feel like her, too.
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Disney Still Has to Win Over a Difficult Audience
Of course, Tangled (2028) enters theaters with another problem that has nothing to do with casting.
Some Disney fans simply want more original movies.
They want new characters and worlds rather than another remake, sequel, or adaptation of a story they've already watched. Disney's continued interest in revisiting familiar movies isn't going to satisfy everyone.
But if those projects continue, fans can still expect Disney to handle them well.
A live-action adaptation doesn't need to erase everything audiences recognize to justify itself. It can preserve the original movie's heart while allowing its new cast to bring something human to familiar characters.
So far, Tangled (2028) looks like it could be taking that approach.
Croft visually fits Rapunzel while displaying the character's playful personality. Manheim resembles the Flynn Rider audiences remember, and Hahn brings a theatrical quality to Mother Gothel.
The finished movie still has to deliver, but those are encouraging starting points.
The Real Test Is Still Coming
One parking-lot video can't prove Disney has solved its live-action remake problem.
Neither can a costume, a giant blonde braid, or footage shown at D23.
What those pieces can do is show direction.
Right now, Tangled (2028) appears interested in preserving the humor, romance, energy, and characters that made Tangled (2010) work rather than simply borrowing its recognizable imagery.
Fans can debate whether the animated movie needed a live-action version at all.
But Disney is making one, and Croft's Rapunzel is giving audiences an early reason to pay attention.
The biggest test won't come until 2028. For now, though, Disney's trip back to Corona looks more promising than many fans may have expected.
