This week sees the release of Jon Favreau’s The Lion King, the third of five live action Disney remakes coming out this year alone. With new takes on The Little Mermaid and Mulan heading to theaters in 2020 and dozens of other re-imaginings rumored to be on the way, it seems like any and every one of Disney’s animated classics are eligible for an update. Though fans may not be clamoring for a photo-realistic Chicken Little or Home on the Range, 2010’s Tangled seems very likely to make for a smash hit modernization – just ask star Zachary Levi.
Better known today for playing the titular character in Shazam! and smaller appearances in the Thor franchise, Levi’s voice only part as Flynn Rider was one of his largest and most successful theatrical roles. The actor is certainly handsome and charming enough to reprise the swashbuckling character if it were to be remade, but unfortunately, Levi believes he’s now aging out of the chance.
When asked at the CCXP Cologne which Disney character the actor would love to have a chance to play, Levi gave the natural response, albeit with the knowledge that it’ll be very unlikely the longer it takes:
“As much as I would love to play Flynn Rider in a live-action Tangled, by the time they get around to that, I don’t think I’m gonna be the right guy to play that role [laughs]. I’ll be there coaching that guy, I’ll make sure he understands what that smolder means, but I think my hair will be like Steve Martin white by the time they do a live-action Tangled. So in lieu of playing Flynn Rider in a live-action Tangled, I would say, I don’t know… Ariel from The Little Mermaid, maybe.”
Unfortunately for the actor, Hailey Bailey was recently cast as the live action Little Mermaid, so his chance to play Ariel looks equally up in smoke. But try not to feel too bad for the guy, as Shazam! had a decent run at the box office and a sequel (and maybe even a complete trilogy) is likely on way.
Meanwhile, Disney is anything but short on intellectual property that they can mine for nostalgia. As stated above, The Lion King is expected to dominate the box office this weekend, while Maleficent: Mistress of Evil heads to cinemas this October. Meanwhile, a live action Lady and the Tramp will drop on Disney Plus by the year’s end, while Mulan and The Little Mermaid will both see a release in 2020. Hopefully, this means a live action Tangled won’t be too far behind.