With the launch of its flagship character, Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie, Disney established itself as a pioneer in the animation industry. It was, in fact, animation that bestowed the Walt Disney Company the beginnings of their nearly-effortless achieved fame and overall prominence as an all-encompassing entertainment company, as the animation team was responsible for creating the studio’s most recognizable animation eras and classics. It led the charge in evolving traditional animation, as the medium underwent periods of evolution that encouraged animators to elevate their craft. In 2010, they released their 50th animated film, Tangled.
Update August 11, 2023: This article has been updated by Mona Bassil with additional information, including rumors of a Tangled live-action remake.
The 3D computer-animated musical fantasy and comedy feature adapted the story of Rapunzel, a German fairy tale originally published by the Brothers Grimm that featured the titular princess locked in a tower for most of her life, waiting to be freed from her isolation. While incorporating key elements into the story, the movie was bold enough to introduce a more creative and unique understanding of the source material, and it rapidly became a fan favorite.
Tangled, along with the previous year's The Princess and the Frog, ushered in a new era for Disney Animation that would rival its Renaissance days. It left a lasting impression on audiences who still herald it as a modern triumph for the unstoppable cinematic conglomerate. Walt Disney Studios and their ascended dominion over the motion picture industry have grown their success through not only their originals and stand-alone work but have also excelled in their marketing through developing sequels or creating franchise properties. Tangled, however, was untouched by the sequel treatment and was left alone despite the film being viewed as a studio accomplishment. Here is why Tangled 2 was never made by the Walt Disney Animation Studios but spawned a six-minute, hand-drawn TV movie and a series instead.
No Interest in Producing a Full-Length Sequel
Disney is particularly cautious about the decisions made when choosing what movies will earn a second installment or be granted the privilege of becoming a franchise of its own. The high volume of original content is a prime contender against any urgency to proceed with a sequel film closely trailing on the heels of the pilot film's release. The amassed entertainment giant hasn't turned down the opportunity to expand a single entity into an even greater saga before, though it has been more generous in granting full franchise opportunities to other projects across subdivision properties instead.
Tangled proved itself to be a popular release that still remains present in Disney's marketing today throughout their merchandise, theme parks, and branding, but there was never a sense of urgency to supplement the animated film with a second or even third full-length companion. Not to mention that the movie took more than six years to make and cost $260 million, so financially and logistically, a quality sequel may not be a high priority for the company.
Den of Geek previously shared similar curiosities with Tangled producer Roy Conli, who did confirm that Disney once expressed an interest in developing a Tangled 2. “There was a desire to somehow take it into a filmic sequel," Conli said to the entertainment publication, though he admitted that the directors behind the first film, Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, weren't entirely interested in following through on an additional Tangled project. The producer then proceeded to justify their declination when reflecting on Tangled's conclusion, where Rapunzel's hair is cut off completely. This prompted Conli to use “her hair was gone!” as an excuse to look past Tangled 2.
Tangled Ever After (2012)
There were unanswered and unaddressed questions left behind by Tangled that have yet to be explored or explained. For instance, the story only hints at what Flynn Rider's (voiced by Zachary Levi) upbringing could have entailed or what his relationship with Rapunzel has been like following the film's end. Due to popular demand, Greno and Howard mustered up enough energy to helm a six-minute animated short, Tangled Ever After, which shared the events post-Tangled through a condensed narrative and a new animation style.
Released in 2012, Tangled Ever After centered on Rapunzel and Flynn's wedding ceremony and how Maximus, the white stallion, and Pascal, the pet chameleon, momentarily lost the precious rings. Despite being technically a follow-up to the original film, it's just an entertaining episode with no groundbreaking events or character development. Yet it, alongside the Toy Story shorts released at the time, hinted at a way for Disney to continue to revisit classic characters without sequels. Yet Toy Story eventually got Toy Story 4, and the soon-to-be-released Toy Story 5, Tangled has remained a single film property.
Tangled: Before Ever After (2017) and the Series
In 2017, Disney released a 55-minute, 2-D TV animated film called Tangled: Before Ever After, the events of which take place six months after Tangled and right before Rapunzel's coronation ceremony. Directed by Tom Caulfield and Stephen Sandoval, it centers on the princess' refusal to settle down and take on royal responsibilities just yet. After she embarks on a secret adventure with Cassandra, the Captain of the Guard's adopted daughter, and her lady-in-waiting, she comes upon magical rocks which cause her blonde hair to grow again.
The film served as a pilot for the series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which ran on Disney Channel for three seasons until 2020. The series acted as a bridge between the events of the first film and the short film Tangled Ever After. This also aired around the same time that Disney released Big Hero 6: The Series, another popular Disney film that got an animated series instead of a traditional sequel.
Live-Action Remake
While Disney might not have an interest in Tangled 2 at the moment, a live-action remake might be on the horizon. While Disney is more open to going for theatrically released sequels than they were in the past, as prevalent with Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen 2, and the upcoming Frozen 3 and Zootopia 2, they really love doing live-action remakes. Ever since 2010's Alice in Wonderland, Disney has turned many of their animated classics into live-action films, from their early work like The Jungle Book and Dumbo to Disney Renaissance films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King.
There was always the joke that they would run out of films to remake, yet the trend is still going strong. In fact, they are dipping their toes into more recent entries, with a live-action Moana set for release in the summer of 2025, which will be only nine years from when it opened. No official word has been made, but rumors are swirling that Disney is considering a Tangled live-action remake.
This might explain why the studio has been less eager to do a sequel. Films like Wreck-It-Ralph and Zootopia are more difficult to do live-action remakes of, so sequels are the best way to continue the brand. Tangled, on the other hand, features a cast of human characters that are easier to be brought to life in live-action, and Disney live-action movies make a lot of money at the box office. Frozen is the exception, but that is because after grossing $1 billion worldwide, a direct sequel would be foolish to pass up.
Could Tangled 2 Still Happen?
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Tangled 2 is worthy of speculation now, just as it was when the demand was at an all-time high following the film's release in 2010. The launch of Disney+ has not only made the film more accessible than ever, but it provides a brand new platform. While Disney likely would not release a full sequel to Tangled on Disney+, the streaming service could be used to continue the story in shorts.
Disney has already done this with both Zootopia and Big Hero 6, and with Tangled approaching its 13th anniversary, it might be the time to cash in on that nostalgia.