Caitríona Balfe joins live-action Tangled as Queen Arianna

Outlander star Caitríona Balfe has been cast as Queen Arianna, Rapunzel’s biological mother, in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 2010 animated musical fantasy Tangled. Cinemaexpress.com reports that the announcement was made during Disney’s D23 presentation, where the studio also confirmed a March 31, 2028 release date.

Balfe joins a cast that includes Teagan Croft as Rapunzel, Milo Manheim as Flynn Rider and Kathryn Hahn as Mother Gothel. Michael Gracey, known for The Greatest Showman, will direct from a screenplay by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Michael Montemurro. At D23, attendees saw early footage of Croft and Hahn in character but not Balfe.

The original Tangled followed Rapunzel, a young woman with magical hair confined in a tower by Gothel, whose life changes when thief Flynn Rider stumbles in. Balfe, a five-time Golden Globe nominee for her role as Claire Fraser in Outlander, marks her entry into Disney’s slate of live-action remakes.