Disney Reopens Tangled Live Action, Gracey Attached Johansson Gothel

Disney has resumed early development on a live-action adaptation of its 2010 animated film Tangled, reviving a project the studio paused in April. People with knowledge of the project say director Michael Gracey remains attached and that Scarlett Johansson is being considered to play the villain Mother Gothel. Studio officials have not issued a formal green light or provided a production timeline.

The live-action rewrite was put on hold after the studio reassessed its slate following the underperformance of an earlier live-action adaptation this spring. That film’s box office returns fell short of expectations, prompting a broader review of how Disney approaches remakes of its animated catalog. In the months since, another recent adaptation posted blockbuster results at the box office, and industry observers say that contrast helped spur renewed interest in moving Tangled back into development.

The original Tangled, released in 2010, is loosely based on the Rapunzel fairy tale and was directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard. The animated film, which featured Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider, had an estimated production budget of about $260 million and...