Story highlights
The network said Wednesday that it has ordered an animated series
It's set between the events of the feature film and the start of the 2012 short film
(The Hollywood Reporter)Rapunzel is headed to Disney Channel.
The network said Wednesday that it has ordered an animated series based on Walt Disney Animation Studios' 2010 hit movie Tangled. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are set to reprise their roles as Rapunzel and Eugene (aka Flynn Rider), respectively.
The series, which will premiere in 2017 on Disney Channels around the world, also will reunite Disney veteran and Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater.
Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed by animation veterans Chris Sonnenburg (Disney's Enchanted) and Shane Prigmore (The Lego Movie).
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Set between the events of the feature film and the start of the 2012 short film Tangled Ever After, the animated series unfolds as Rapunzel acquaints herself with her parents, her kingdom and the people of Corona. As she realizes there is so much more she needs to learn before she can truly accept her royal destiny, she boldly puts her crown and impending marriage on hold to seek out epic adventures, much to the dismay of the king, who, after missing out on Rapunzel's youth, must accept that his daughter is now an independent young woman.
Accompanying Rapunzel on her journey will be Eugene; the plucky chameleon sidekick Pascal; the no-nonsense horse Maximus; the Snuggly Duckling Pub Thugs; and newcomer Cassandra, a tough-as-nails handmaiden who becomes Rapunzel's confidant.
"The genius of the original movie was its seamless blending of cinematic adventure, character-driven comedy and touching emotion," said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer at Disney Channels Worldwide. And we are fortunate to have several of the creative talent from that movie on board with this new production. With the addition of Chris and Shane as executive producers, we have the perfect team in place to create a series worthy of the original film."
This isn't the first animated feature film that's headed toward the small screen. Last year, Disney Junior, which is targeted at kids age 2-7 and their families, said it will debut an animated sequel TV movie and show set after the events of The Lion King in 2015.
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Meanwhile, this marks yet another collaboration between Disney and Moore, who also voices the title character in Disney Junior's Sheriff Callie's Wild West.
For Tangled, Sonnenberg will serve as executive producer and supervising director and Prigmore as co-executive producer and creative director. Jase Ricci (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) is story editor. Artist Claire Keane (Frozen, Tangled), daughter of Glen Keane, who was animation supervisor on the feature film, consulted on development of the series. Kevin Kliesch (Tangled Ever After) will serve as score composer.
Debuting over Thanksgiving in 2010, Tangled opened with $68.7 million and went on to earn $200 million domestically and more than $593 million globally, becoming one of Walt Disney Animation Studios' biggest releases of all time. It was nominated for Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards for best animated film as well as best song for "I See the Light," which also won a Grammy Award and was nominated for an Oscar.
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