When the topic of Disney turning their animated classics into live-action remakes comes up, the conversation rarely focuses on how the original cast of those projects feels when they’re recast. However, Tangled’s original Mother Gothel, Donna Murphy, is taking a page out of animated Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho’s book, reflecting on the news of Kathryn Hahn’s casting as the iconic Disney villain.
Five-time Tony Award nominee Murphy is the original speaking and singing voice of Mother Gothel in the 2010 animated version of Tangled. A talented Broadway actress in her own right, Walt Disney Studios could have approached her to reprise the role for the live-action remake, but instead they opted to cast the Agatha All Along star.
Thankfully, Murphy has no issue with the recasting. In fact, she expressed nothing but excitement, which she shared with PEOPLE. In fact, the “Mother Knows Best” singer has been a huge fan of Hahn for several years, saying:
We did a pilot years ago with Jeff Goldblum, and I’ve just been a fan of hers since. And when she got the gig ... well, I saw her shortly before it was official, and then I was thrilled to be able to congratulate her. She’s a rockstar. She’s going to kill it.
Stepping into any role previously held by someone else is always intimidating, but doing so in a Disney live-action remake is even more formidable. When pressed on whether she had any advice for the Bad Moms star, Murphy said:
She doesn’t need any advice. She was sort of doing the ‘I am not worthy’ [thing], and I was like, ‘Don’t even kid yourself, woman. You have got everything you need for the Mother’ … and Mother knows best.
The internet seems to agree with The Gilded Age star, considering many of Hahn’s most devoted fans believe they "manifested" the role for her by endlessly fancasting her as Mother Gothel, especially after seeing her act and sing in the Disney+ original Agatha All Along. If the OG Mother Gothel is on board, then it’s safe to assume the sinister villain is in good hands.
Tangled officially began filming in Europe in Summer 2026, and fans were treated to leaked photos of Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim as Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder. There are also a few photos of Hahn in Gothel’s maroon dress floating around, and it definitely looks like she jumped out of the animated classic.
While we definitely won’t see Tangled on the 2026 Movie Schedule, it is slated for a March 31, 2028 release. When it hits theaters, it will be the first live-action remake since this summer’s Moana. Until then, you can stream the beloved original with an active Disney+ subscription.
