by Cozette Calderon
Disney has been on a rampage of making their classic cartoons into reimagined, live action films.
This has caused an uproar of disagreement about the casting of such beloved characters. After all, we only want the perfect actors bringing our loved childhood characters to life. Rumors have started spreading around Tangled being turned into a live action film, and already people are enraged about casting rumors. And I’m not far off. So, here are my favorite casting ideas.
Rapunzel: In the ideal world, Rapunzel would be a no-name actor. Rapunzel has been secluded in a tower for 18 years, so not knowing the actor would add to the authenticity of the film. However, if we are forced to pick a famous actor, here are my top three picks.
3: Kiernan Shipka
Shipka, 23, is just slightly older than Rapunzel is in the film, making her within the right age range. She is well-suited to handle the requirements of such a role because of her singing and acting experience, which means we as an audience get the best of both worlds. The acting won’t suffer and nor will our ears. She even follows the idea of not being an A-list celebrity.
However, Shipka has primarily gained recognition for playing very sinister roles, such as Sabrina in the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, a drama series, along with starring in the horror film ‘The Silence’. This means the downside in casting her is that we haven’t seen her in a film that is as fun and light hearted as Tangled.
2: Brec Bassinger
Brec Bassinger and Seifred competed for the top spot on my list. If we want to replicate looks from the original cartoon characters, Bassigner is almost an exact replica. Despite her being the second oldest option, she looks the youngest, genuinely like the green-eyed, 18 year old princess we know and love.
Additionally, She also has a variety of acting credits, ranging from Bella and the Bulldogs on Nickelodeon to 47 meters down: uncaged—a horror film. However, her singing is debatable at best. We know she sang a bit in Bella and the Bulldogs, so she may be able to manage the easier vocal ranges of Tangled’s score. But that’s the reason she got bumped down to 2nd place.
1: Amanda Seifred.
Seifred has performed in far too many movie musicals to doubt her vocal ability. Her role as Cosette in Les Miserables shows not only how high her vocal range is, but also her ability to play a wide-eyed girl craving for socialization. Much like Rapunzel, Cosette has been kept in solitude, and she yearns to explore the outside world .
Seifred has portrayed the lead in Mamma Mia 1 and 2. Her character, Sophie, dreams of finding her father, trying to terminate the secrecy surrounding her upbringing. Just as Rapunzel, Sophie doesn’t know the whole truth of her past. We’ve already seen Seifred handle such topics, so we can trust her to deliver a similar story again.
Flynn Rider: Tom Holland has appeared on one too many fan casting lists for my liking. He’s a fantastic actor, but for whoever’s playing Flynn, we need to know they have the chops to do the classic smolder.
3: Jake Glynnehal
He can SINGGGGG. Don’t believe me? Just look up his duet with Annaleigh Ashford on youtube. Any worries you have of his voice will disappear in an instant.
His brown hair and facial structure puts him the closest to replicating the original Flynn Rider’s looks. However, his age is what puts him so far down on this list. Gyllenhaal is 42. Compared to his potential 20 year old costars, it might be a bit awkward. However, we know he has the charisma needed for such a role–as we’ve seen from his part in Spider Man: Far away from Home as Mysterio. So, he might just be suave enough to pull off this role.
2: Fabin Frankle
Similar to the casting process with Rapunzel, it was a race to the finish between Page and Frankle. Page fulfills all the requirements, but Frankle has the appearance that fits our handsome Rider. He also has experience working in fantasy, and I believe already working in House of Dragons that is set in an ‘old-timey’, fantasy era will help him transfer to a role such as Flynn. Simply, I believe fans would love to see him as the representative of Flynn.
1: Rege-Jean Page
Rege-Jean Page sings beautifully. Want to check it out? Listen to the clip on Access Hollywood’s youtube page. He is still slightly older at 35, but it wouldn’t create such an awkward age gap as Gyllenhaal.
Audiences have already fallen in love with Page for his appearance as the charming, lover-guy in Bridgerton, so Disney could relax knowing that fans are already fixated on the new Rider. And I think we all know he also has the suaveness to make the audiences swoon.
Mother Gothel: 2 options, and I think we’d love to see both.
1: Helena Bohanm Carter.
Do I have to explain myself? I hope not. But I will.
Can she sing? Look no further than Sweeny Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Not only does everything she wears in that film feel like it’s a part of Mother Gothel’s closet, the role of Mrs. Lovett shows off Carter’s singing chops. Do you need more proof?
Watch Les Miserables, where you get to hear Carter sing even more. You also get to see her manipulative abilities in a manner similar to Mother Gothel. While we’re on the topic, we can also think of the connection Carter and Seifred already have because they both worked on Les Miserables. Even without sharing scenes with one another, they inevitably would have crossed paths.
Keep in mind, Carter has also worked in Harry potter films, which will become significant in my future castings because it means she already has some personal connection with the rest of the potential cast.
2: Sandra Oh
If you’ve heard the cover of “Like a Virgin” that was used in the netflix show Grey’s Anatomy or Mulan II, you’ve heard Oh’s talent. She has the skills for comedy, as we’ve seen in Princess Diaries, and a flair for drama as shown in Grey’s Anatomy. She has previously partnered with Disney, in the previously mentioned Mulan II as princess Ting Ting. So, there is a good likelihood the company and Oh can join together once more. In general, I think she’ll bring a beautiful shine to Gothel.
Stabbington brothers: While it’s true that I think some twin body-builders would be a fantastic addition to our cast…sadly, there aren’t any actors out there that fit all those qualifications. Instead, I offer these three ideas.
3: Hemsworth brothers: Chris and Luke.
We’ve seen Chris portray a cocky character, such as Thor, before. That same role allowed us to see him wearing an eyepatch. I mean, he’s perfect for such a role. Who can argue with that evidence? The Hemsworth brothers also provide us the stockier build that the Stabbington brothers naturally have.
Luke has also been in an abundance of action movies, which gives us confidence he can play a rugged Stabbington brother. Luke and Chris Hemsworth are real-life brothers, so they already fit that character description, as well. So why are these actors third? Simply, they’re too “pretty” and well known as such handsome guys that it draws the viewers away from such repulsive and vile nature of the Stabbington brothers.
2: Domhnall Gleeson and Rupurt Grint.
These actors both have the stocky physique required, but could be put into a rigorous training program, as most actors do for roles such as these, that would help them gain the muscle we think of when picturing the Stabbington brothers. They both have red hair, Grint has a dark and rough look, and we’ve already gotten to see Gleeson with a scar that spans his face. As a bonus, in the Harry Potter film series, these two actors portrayed brothers, meaning they can represent that genuine bond once again.
Hmm, not satisfying enough? How about my last offer?
3: Oliver and James Phelps
You guessed it, another Harry Potter casting.
These are two actors who fit the bill for the “brother connection” perfectly because they’re actually twins like the Stabbington brothers. Despite having naturally brown hair, we’ve seen them as red heads before in the Harry Potter film series, so we already have that image in our minds. “But they’re mainly comedic actors!” someone says, and I say that their humorous attitudes might add a special flair to such stoic characters like the Stabbington Brothers. We always love a subtle but good laugh.
Just as with Grint and Gleeson, I believe that with a strict training regime, the right colored hair dye and the perfect costume, fans wouldn’t be disappointed putting their trust in this duo.
If the Phelp twins can bring beloved characters such as Fred and George Weasly to life, they can bring the iconic Stabbington brothers to the screen for us as well.
BONUS: a royal guard
1: Marc Evan Jackson.
Jackson’s comedic timing enhances the enjoyment of any film. I think we can all agree the addition of Jackson will either allow Disney to force us to watch the movie all the way through, or just be a great additional perk to a great film.
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