'Tangled' live-action adaptation adds Kathryn Hahn to its cast and her role makes perfect sense
On March 10, Kathryn Hahn announced on Instagram that she will star as Mother Gothel in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the animated film, 'Tangled.' Fans had been holding their breath for months as they awaited an official confirmation, since Hahn was reported to be in talks to play the villainous role in January. Displaying her signature humor, Hahn started her video by saying, "Hey, OOTD, I just found out what that stands for. So here’s my outfit of the day." She then revealed her oversized t-shirt plastered with Mother Gothel’s face, before saying, "Simple jeans, glasses, T-shirt. This is easy. You know, just another day."
Hahn captioned her video, "OOTD, Mother Gothel," and also changed her Instagram handle to @motherhahn. The bio of her profile also reads, "Mother knows best," an iconic song from the film. Walt Disney Studios shared the same video on Facebook, telling fans that they got what they wanted. "You want her to be the bad guy? FINE. Kathryn Hahn is Mother Gothel in Disney’s live-action Tangled," read Disney’s caption. Of course, this is not the first time the 52-year-old actress will portray a cunning witch for a Disney project. She previously played Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch who dabbles in dark magic, in the Disney+ series 'Agatha All Along' in 2024.
'Tangled,' a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale 'Rapunzel,' showcases Mother Gothel as a manipulative old witch who is obsessed with staying young forever. She locks away the spirited Rapunzel in a secret tower to use the healing powers of her long blonde hair to remain youthful. The character was voiced by Donna Murphy in Disney's 2010 animated film. Hahn steps into the villainous role of Mother Gothel after plans to star Scarlett Johansson fell through. The actress left the project in October 2025 to focus on 'Batman II' and the reboot of 'The Exorcist.' Following her exit, fans lobbied for Hahn to be cast in the villainous role, and their wishes have finally come true.
The project was announced by Disney in December 2024. However, it was briefly halted in early 2025 after the disastrous performance of the studio's live-action film, 'Snow White' starring Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler. It was revived last fall and has been actively in development since. In January, The Hollywood Reporter exclusively confirmed the casting of Teagan Croft as Rapunzel and Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider, the outlaw thief who comes to the princess's rescue and takes her on new adventures to experience the real world. Their roles were voiced by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, respectively, in the animated film. The outlet also reported that 'The Greatest Showman' director, Michael Gracey, had signed on to helm the film and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, of 'Thor: Love and Thunder,' would write the screenplay. The 'Tangled' live-action film will be produced by Kristin Burr for Burr! Productions, and executive produced by Lucy Kitada.
