Disney’s live-action Tangled has found the actor who will play one of its most important characters, with Outlander star Caitríona Balfe joining the cast as Queen Arianna. Balfe will portray Rapunzel’s biological mother in the upcoming adaptation of the studio’s 2010 animated musical fantasy. The casting was announced during Disney’s D23 presentation, where the studio also confirmed that the film will hit theatres on March 31, 2028.
The actor joins a cast led by Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, with Milo Manheim playing Flynn Rider and Kathryn Hahn taking on the role of the manipulative Mother Gothel. The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey is directing the live-action project, which has a screenplay by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemurro. Although Balfe did not appear in the footage screened at D23, Disney offered attendees an early glimpse of Croft and Hahn in their respective roles. The preview gives audiences their first look at how the animated classic is being translated into live action.
The original Tangled, released in 2010, followed Rapunzel, a young woman with magical golden hair who has spent years confined inside a tower by Gothel. Her isolated life changes when Flynn Rider, a thief on the run, takes shelter in her tower. Their unlikely partnership eventually leads Rapunzel beyond the walls of her prison as she begins uncovering the truth about her identity and her royal past.
Mandy Moore voiced Rapunzel in the animated film, while Zachary Levi played Flynn Rider and Donna Murphy voiced Mother Gothel. The voice cast also included Ron Perlman, Brad Garrett and Jeffrey Tambor.
Balfe, meanwhile, is best known for playing Claire Fraser in the long-running historical drama Outlander, a role that earned her five Golden Globe nominations. Her casting as Queen Arianna marks her entry into Disney’s expanding slate of live-action adaptations.
