Disney is a major movie studio known for its many popular stories, but it first became hugely successful with its classic animated films. It’s not surprising that they’ve started making live-action versions of these beloved movies, like recent remakes of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Snow White.
Disney’s recent live-action remakes have had mixed results, creating some uncertainty around the upcoming Tangled movie. With the underwhelming reception of the 2026 Moana remake, the prospects for another Tangled film now seem even more difficult.
The animated movie Moana was a big hit in 2016, making many wonder why a live-action remake was needed so soon – only ten years later! This likely contributed to the new film’s struggles at the box office. Critics haven’t been impressed either, giving it a score of just 32% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Disney’s recent live-action remakes haven’t been well-received overall. While the new Lilo & Stitch did well in theaters, it still drew criticism. And films like Snow White, Mufasa: The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid all got mostly lukewarm or negative reviews.
Remaking a popular movie like Moana seemed like a good idea – tastes don’t usually change drastically in ten years. However, the new Moana received negative reviews, which presents a challenge for Disney’s upcoming Tangled remake. Since Tangled was released only six years ago, the filmmakers need to avoid repeating those mistakes and make something truly special.
Moana Was Arguably More Suited To Live-Action Than Tangled
Let’s be clear: Tangled is a fantastic Disney movie that would likely translate well to live-action. However, Moana might have actually been an even better fit for a live-action adaptation, which makes its disappointing performance all the more surprising. Moana‘s stunning visuals were one of its biggest strengths, and while recreating them in live-action was undoubtedly challenging, they also should have been a major attraction.
The stunning visuals of the ocean and islands really justified the effort put into the remake, and with the sequel earning over a billion dollars recently, it was a smart financial decision. The film’s music and celebration of culture broadened its appeal, which is why Moana seemed like a good choice to revisit even though it wasn’t that long ago that it was first released.
Unlike some other Disney films, Tangled feels like a hidden gem rather than a massive blockbuster, even though it did well in theaters. It hasn’t had the same lasting impact as Moana. While still beautiful to look at, its scenery isn’t quite as memorable as Moana‘s, and the movie really shines because of its story and characters.
Despite some recent disappointments from the studio, Tangled’s popularity continues to prove strong – as seen by its performance on Disney+ earlier this year – suggesting a live-action version could still succeed. However, the negative reviews and box office results for Moana make that an unlikely outcome; it will be a difficult challenge.
Live-Action Moana’s Audience Score Is Reason For Optimism
While the upcoming Tangled remake faces some hurdles, there’s reason to be optimistic thanks to how audiences reacted to Moana. Despite negative reviews from critics and online criticism, Moana still earned an impressive 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, showing many fans enjoyed it.
While not Disney’s strongest live-action remake, this film isn’t a complete failure either. Despite earning over $100 million in its first week – which is still disappointing compared to predictions – Tangled could really benefit from a smaller budget and more positive reviews.
While the upcoming Moana film in 2026 has some significant weaknesses, it still has potential for success if the creative team learns from what audiences enjoyed about the original. Because people already love these characters, Disney could recapture that same magic after 16 years.
To make a live-action Tangled successful, it will need excellent marketing, stay true to the original story, but also offer something new to attract audiences to theaters instead of just watching the animated film again. Moana’s positive audience reception shows this is possible, suggesting a bright future for a Tangled remake.
What Tangled Can Learn From Disney’s Past Live-Action Remakes
Disney’s live-action remakes – both good and bad – offer valuable lessons for a potential follow-up to Tangled. Most importantly, the new film needs to stay true to what made the original so special. Tangled is a charming love story with great humor and fantasy elements, and those core qualities should be preserved.
The connection between Rapunzel and Flynn is what makes the movie so appealing, but a remake also needs to give the fantastic side characters a chance to stand out. For the live-action version to succeed, it needs to capture the original’s charm while also bringing something fresh to the story, something Disney’s recent remakes have often lacked.
Animation brings characters to life and creates unforgettable worlds, so live-action versions need to offer something extra to attract an audience. Adding more backstory or including content that wasn’t in the original could be successful, but simply recreating the story isn’t enough.
Look, even with great trailers and picking the right release date, a lot has to go perfectly for this Tangled remake to really work. Disney definitely saw what happened with Moana – it didn’t quite live up to expectations – and I think that’s going to push them to make sure Tangled doesn’t fall into the same traps. If they learn from those past mistakes, though? Honestly, this remake could be even bigger than anything we’ve seen before.
2026-07-19 18:02