With the success that Disney is having remaking it's animated catalog in live-action, it seems like only a matter of time before every animated feature has a live-action equivalent. Of course, with some of the more recent films, that raises an interesting question, could we see actors who lent their voice to animated characters take on those same roles in a live-action remake? It's certainly possible that it could happen, but one actor who might have a shot doesn't think it will happen.
Recently, Zachary Levi was asked if there was any Disney prince he'd like to play in a live-action remake and while he says he would love the chance to play his own character, Flynn Rider, in a live-action Tangled, he figures, by the time Disney gets around to doing a live-action Tangled, he probably won't be young enough anymore. According to Levi...
I mean, I think the obvious choice would be to play Flynn Rider in a live-action [Tangled]. But 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.
At this point, basically every Disney movie that was done with traditional hand drawn animation has been rumored for a live action remake, and many of them seem likely to move forward. Tangled is less than 10 years old at this point, and the franchise still has life in its original incarnation, so as Zachary Levi's comments at CCXP Cologne (via Comicbook.com) point out, it doesn't seem likely that one will be getting remade anytime soon. Disney is producing remakes a lot faster than it ever produced the animated features, but not so fast that we'll be seeing a live-action Tangled or Frozen anytime soon.
Though, lets be honest, they're both going to happen eventually, right?
It has to be said, Zachary Levi lends more than simply his voice to Flynn Rider in Tangled, there's an attitude that goes with Flynn that is distinctly Levi. That's not to say somebody else couldn't play the role, but there's a reason it feel like Levi should play a live-action Flynn.
While there will probably be a live-action Tangled far sooner than anybody thinks, it's probably true that, hair color or not, Levi will have aged out of the role by the time Disney greenlights the project.
He's almost 40 now, and while he can certainly play younger, when he's pushing 50, that probably won't work. Hopefully Disney will find a nice cameo role for him. Perhaps he could play the king and Rapunzel's father. And that way he can be on set to give whatever young actor becomes the new Flynn Rider some pointers.
