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Scarlett Johansson is addressing reports that she’s set to star in Disney’s live-action adaptation of its 2010 animated hit Tangled.
When Johansson, 40, spoke with Entertainment Tonight at the Newport Beach Film Festival recently, the actress laughed when she was asked if there’s “a real possibility” she will portray villain Mother Gothel in the project.
“Is there a real possibility?” Johansson responded. “I think anything is possible. What would excite me about it would be the opportunity to work with Michael Gracey, who is attached to direct the film, because he is just absolutely an extraordinary visionary and any actor would love to have that collaboration with him.”
News first broke that Disney was developing a live-action version of Tangled with The Greatest Showman director Gracey, 49, back in December 2024. As Deadline reported on Oct. 9, Disney paused development on the movie in April after its live-action adaptation of Snow White with Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot underperformed at the box office. Casting has not been formally announced, but Johansson is expected to portray Mother Gothel, the villain who captures Rapunzel in the movie. Donna Murphy voiced that character in the original 2010 animated film.
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Tangled is loosely based on the fairy tale of Rapunzel and the German fairy tale collections published by the Brothers Grimm in the 19th century. The movie follows Princess Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), who escapes from the tower Gothel raises her in after she kidnaps Rapunze from her parents’ kingdom. Rapunzel embarks on an adventure and eventually reunites with her parents with the help of the outlaw Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi).
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Gracey most recently directed 2024’s Better Man, a biopic of singer Robbie Williams that depicted the musician as a CGI monkey.
Johansson was seen on the big screen in this year’s Jurassic World: Rebirth and The Phoenician Scheme. Her debut as a director, Eleanor the Great, is in theaters now.
