Disney Channel Animation announced that production has begun on an animated series based on the film Tangled. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi will reprise their roles as Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder.
Do you remember how HUGE Tangled was??? After opening weekend over Thanksgiving in 2010, it went on to earn more than $593 million globally, becoming one of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ biggest releases ever. This isn’t surprising because Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi were fantastic as Rapunzel and Flynn/Eugene. We fell in love with Pascal and Maximus and, of course, the music by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater was fun and evocative.
And even though we got another taste of Tangled during the royal wedding 2012 short film Tangled Ever After, fans still want more. Well yesterday, Disney Channel made a very exciting announcement. Disney Television Animation has begun production on an animated series for kids, tween and families, based on the acclaimed feature film! The series will premiere in 2017 on Disney Channels around the world, PLUS Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi will reprise their roles!
According to Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Channels Worldwide:
“The genius of the original movie was its seamless blending of cinematic adventure, character-driven comedy and touching emotion. And we are fortunate to have several of the creative talent from that movie on board with this new production. With the addition of Chris [Sonnenburg] and Shane [Prigmore] as Executive Producers, we have the perfect team in place to create a series worthy of the original film.”
The animated series is set between the events of the feature film and the start of Tangled Ever After. Rapunzel acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. Her irrepressible spirit and natural curiosity about the world drives her to the realization that there is so much more she needs to learn before she can truly accept her royal destiny.
She boldly puts her crown and impending marriage on hold to seek out epic adventures, much to the dismay of the King who, after missing out on Rapunzel’s youth, must accept that his daughter is now an independent young woman. Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey will be Eugene; the plucky chameleon sidekick, Pascal; the no-nonsense horse, Maximus; the Snuggly Duckling Pub Thugs; and newcomer Cassandra, a tough-as-nails handmaiden, who becomes Rapunzel’s confidant.
It’ll be fun to see Rapunzel and Flynn’s weekly adventures! I’m actually really interested in learning more about Rapunzel’s relationship with her parents, especially since it seems there might be a tiny bit of conflict with the King…? What do you think of the news? Share your thoughts in comments and make sure you’re following Disney Channel on twitter and Facebook to stay updated!
