The live-action remake of Tangled could potentially have starred a Bridgerton heartthrob as Flynn Rider. The 2010 movie Tangled is Disney’s Oscar-nominated animated retelling of Rapunzel, following the long-haired тιтle character (Mandy Moore) as she goes on an adventure with the dashing rogue Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), who is known for his trademark smolder.

Disney was once in the process of mounting a live-action remake of Tangled. The version of the project that was announced in December 2024 would have been directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) and written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (2025’s I Know What You Did Last Summer).

However, when the live-action remake of Snow White bombed at the box office in early 2025 (grossing $205.7 million against a reported budget of roughly $270 million), the Tangled remake was scrapped before any casting announcements could be made.

While speaking with Seventeen, Corey Mylchreest, who is best known for playing Young King George in the prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, revealed that he auditioned for the role of Flynn Rider in the live-action Tangled, though he admitted that his audition “wasn’t very good.”

However, he joked that he was perfect for the role and that “when they realized they couldn’t have me, they scrapped the project.” Read his full quote below:

It wasn’t very good. They then told me that they wanted someone with singing experience. I’m born to play him. I think they realized, they said “no, we don’t want you,” and then when they realized they couldn’t have me, they scrapped the project.

What This Means For Tangled

It is entirely possible that the Tangled remake could eventually be resurrected, because the live-action remake of 2002’s Lilo & Sтιтch made more than $1 billion in 2025. If 2026’s live-action remake of 2016’s Moana performs similarly, it may show that Disney’s more recent properties are strong contenders in the live-action sphere.

Should that be the case, it would likely be wise for the production team to continue to go to the well of Bridgerton, or other projects like it, when casting the character of Flynn Rider. The Netflix Regency romance series has become known for helping up-and-coming stars achieve heartthrob status, which is necessary for any actor portraying the Tangled character.

In addition to Corey Mylchreest breaking out in Queen Charlotte, Bridgerton season 1 helped launch the career of Regé-Jean Page (The Gray Man, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), while season 2’s romantic hero Jonathan Bailey has since gone on to even bigger movie projects such as the blockbusters Wicked and Jurᴀssic World Rebirth.

Our Take On Corey Mylchreest’s Tangled Reveal

While starring in Tangled could have been huge for Corey Mylchreest’s career, missing out on the Disney live-action remake does not seem to have slowed him down. He is currently starring opposite Sofia Carson in the Netflix rom-com My Oxford Year, which is the No. 1 most-watched movie on Netflix’s weekly global chart at the time of writing.