Disney Paused Tangled Live-Action Project, But Did Not Cast Cynthia Erivo

In early April 2025, social media posts on platforms claimed that Disney had paused its live-action remake of Tangled and that actress Cynthia Erivo had been announced to play Rapunzel. Given Disney has faced widespread criticism over its casting choices for lead roles in live-action adaptations of popular animated films and Erivo’s rising stardom, these claims sparked significant online discussion.

Social Media Posts

Social media users recently shared news about Disney pausing the live-action version of Tangled, alongside an edited image of Cynthia Erivo in a Rapunzel costume, suggesting the project was halted due to the choice of leading actress.

Source | Archive

Source | Archive

Fact-Check

Disney Pausing the Tangled Live-Action Project:

BBC reported in December 2024 that Disney announced a live-action remake of Tangled, with Michael Gracey reportedly directing. However, there is no mention of casting, including Cynthia Erivo or any other actors for Rapunzel.

According to Hollywood Reporter on April 3, 2025, Disney has temporarily stopped work on the live-action version of Tangled. This decision appears to be influenced by two main factors: the poor performance of Disney’s Snow White remake at the box office and changes in Disney’s leadership team. These details match what people have been discussing on social media about the project’s status.

Cynthia Erivo Announced as Rapunzel

According to IMDb, Cynthia Erivo is an actress and singer known for her roles in Wicked and Harriet. Her IMDb profile shows no connection to a Tangled live-action remake.

The Walt Disney Company’s official press website and major entertainment news sites shows no announcements about Erivo being cast as Rapunzel. As of April 18, 2025, there are no mentions of her or any casting decisions for the Tangled remake in Disney’s press releases. This is significant because Disney always announces major casting decisions for their big projects through this channel. For example, they used their website to announce Halle Bailey for The Little Mermaid and Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott for Aladdin. The fact that there’s no announcement about Tangled‘s casting clearly shows that claims about Erivo’s casting are untrue.

Moreover, we have contacted Disney for further information regarding this rumor and will update this article once we receive a response.

Summary

Based on our investigation, the claim that Disney paused its Tangled live-action project is true, however, the claim about Cynthia Erivo being cast as Rapunzel is false. Multiple credible sources confirm that Disney announced the project in December 2024 and subsequently paused it in April 2025, but there is no evidence supporting Erivo’s alleged casting. The social media posts appear to be spreading misinformation by combining a true event (the project’s pause) with an unsubstantiated casting claim.