Scarlett Johansson Sets Her Sights on Playing a Legendary Disney Villain

Disney is moving forward with its live-action version of Tangled after putting the project on hold earlier this year.

According to reports, Scarlett Johansson is being considered to play the role of Mother Gothel, the story’s well-known villain.

The film had been paused following the poor box office performance of Disney’s Snow White remake, which caused the studio to rethink several of its live-action plans.

But after the massive success of Lilo & Stitch, which earned more than $1 billion worldwide, Disney decided to get Tangled back on track.

The movie will retell the story of Rapunzel, the princess with magical long hair, based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

The live-action version will take inspiration from Disney’s 2010 animated hit Tangled. Director Michael Gracey, best known for The Greatest Showman, is still in talks to direct. The script is being written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who previously worked on Sony’s I Know What You Did Last Summer reboot. Casting for the rest of the film has not been confirmed yet.

Talks about a live-action Tangled have been going on for years. Screen Rant’s Hannah Shaw-Williams first mentioned the project back in 2020, saying that while a sequel to the animated movie wasn’t planned, Disney was already developing a live-action adaptation of Rapunzel’s story.

It was later confirmed in December 2024 that Gracey and Robinson were officially attached to the project.

By April 2025, production had been paused due to the disappointing results of Snow White, but it seems the strong comeback of Disney’s recent releases has helped revive the project.

If Scarlett Johansson does take on the role of Mother Gothel, it would mark another major collaboration between her and Disney after her role in Black Widow.

The character is one of Disney’s most memorable villains, known for her obsession with youth and control over Rapunzel’s life.

Disney has not shared a release date yet, but fans are already buzzing over the idea of Johansson taking on such an iconic role.

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