Disney's remake machine may soon be running out of road.
For more than a decade, the studio has turned animated hits into live-action films, including Cinderella (2015), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Aladdin (2019), The Lion King (2019), The Little Mermaid (2023), and Lilo & Stitch (2025).
The results have varied. Some became billion-dollar hits, while others faced criticism for either copying the original too closely or changing so much that fans felt the original appeal had been lost.
That problem is now hanging over Disney's live-action Tangled, which has begun filming in Spain.
Fans Criticize Early ‘Tangled' Change
Released in 2010, Tangled follows Rapunzel, a princess with magical hair who has been kept inside a tower by Mother Gothel.
Her life changes when thief Flynn Rider finds her hiding place, leading the pair across the kingdom as Rapunzel learns the truth about her identity.
Disney has cast Titans star Teagan Croft as Rapunzel and Zombies actor Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider.
Kathryn Hahn will play Mother Gothel, while The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey is directing from a screenplay by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson.
The remake is expected to retain the original film's musical format. Disney has not yet announced a release date.
Production resumed after the project was briefly paused following the disappointing box office performance of Snow White (2025).
šØ| NEW LOOK inside of the castle set of the live-action ‘TANGLED' in Spain!
The sun tapestries in the kingdom have seemingly been changed from purple to blue.
Filming started late last month and is ongoing.
šØ| NEW LOOK inside of the castle set of the live-action 'TANGLED' in Spain!
The sun tapestries in the kingdom have seemingly been changed from purple to blue.
Filming started late last month and is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/Q4rGxaxtMl
— Tangled Updates (@TangledUpdates) July 7, 2026
Now, images from the set have revealed one of the first visible changes from the animated film.
Banners inside the kingdom of Corona appear to use blue and yellow instead of the purple and gold seen throughout the original movie.
The change quickly attracted criticism online.
One X user wrote, “Cancel the whole movie omg tangled is purple.”
While the banners are a small production detail, fansĀ have repeatedly criticized the studio for making unnecessary changes to familiar stories, particularly after the backlash surrounding Snow White and Mulan (2020).
Others have argued that remakes such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast followed their animated versions too closely.
Some fans believe Cinderella offers the best model for Tangled.
“What I want to see in the Tangled Live Action is the same formula in the Cinderella Live Action,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “A mix between the OG storyline, the OG animated, and adding new elements to the story without straying away of what makes ‘Cinderella' special.”
‘Tangled' Could Be Disney's Final Major Remake
The backlash comes as Disney faces a bigger problem with its live-action strategy.
Its latest remake, Moana (2026), is projected to earn between $40 million and $45 million this week during its three-day domestic opening weekend, according to Deadline.
That would put it close to Snow White, which opened with $43 million and finished its theatrical run with just over $205 million worldwide.
Moana has also been criticized for closely copying the 2016 animated film, which was released only nine years earlier. It also received a sequel in 2025, with a third film reportedly in the works.
Dwayne Johnson has returned as Maui, while Catherine Laga'aia plays Moana. Laga'aia has received praise, but the remake itself has faced questions over why Disney revisited such a recent film.
If Moana underperforms, it would give Disney two consecutive weak results for live-action Disney Princess remakes.
That would increase the pressure on Tangled, which is currently the only Disney live-action remake actively filming.
A live-action Hercules remains in early development, but updates have been limited.
Other announced remakes, including The Sword in the Stone, The Aristocats, Robin Hood, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, have been scrapped.
Disney is also developing Lilo & Stitch 2, although the film is expected to tell an original story rather than adapt the direct-to-video sequel Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch (2005).
Disney has already remade many of its most popular animated films, leaving fewer major titles available.
If Moana struggles and Tangled also fails to deliver, the studio may have little reason to keep pursuing the same strategy.
For that reason, Tangled could become Disney's final major live-action remake rather than the beginning of another wave.
Do you think Disney should end its live-action remakes?
