Tangled: Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames in Live-Action Remake

Disney is planning a live-action remake of "Tangled" – and according to insiders, two young Hollywood stars are currently at the top of the casting list.

The current favorite for the lead role is Mckenna Grace. Many know her from the new "Ghostbusters" movies. Disney also appears to have a preferred candidate for Flynn Rider: Mason Thames, best known for the "How to Train Your Dragon" remake. This wouldn't be their first film together: Grace and Thames previously starred in the film "Regretting You".

As mentioned, these are insider reports – the casting has not been officially confirmed yet. However, the casting of another role is pretty much certain: stepmother Gothel will most likely be played by Scarlett Johansson in the new "Tangled" film.

It was first revealed in 2020 that Disney was planning a remake. After the "Snow White" flop in early 2025, however, the new live-action project was temporarily shelved. Then came the success of "Lilo & Stitch" – and the fresh "Tangled" version regained momentum.

Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames: two young Hollywood stars and their most important film roles

In recent years, Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames have established themselves as two of the most sought-after young talents in the film industry. With impressive versatility and an astonishing emotional range, they manage to impress both critics and audiences time and time again. A look at their most important film and series roles shows why the two young stars are considered Hollywood's great hopefuls.

Mckenna Grace: from child star to character actress

Mckenna Grace has already built up a filmography at a young age that would make many adult actors envious. She celebrated her breakthrough in 2017 with the drama "Gifted", in which she shone as the highly gifted girl Mary alongside Chris Evans. Her precise, emotionally profound performance made her an overnight favorite with critics.

Grace also left her mark in blockbuster cinema: in "Captain Marvel" (2019), she played the young Carol Danvers and made a significant contribution to the Marvel heroine's backstory. Shortly afterwards, she impressed in the horror genre in "Annabelle Comes Home", where she shone as Judy Warren in one of the central roles and showed that she is also a master of darker material.

One of her biggest audience successes followed in 2021 with "Ghostbusters: Afterlife". As Phoebe, a clever and headstrong young Ghostbuster, she became the emotional core of the film. Her performance energized the traditional film series and was often described as the highlight of the reboot.

Whether drama, horror, comedy or fantasy – Grace is certainly at home in any genre. Series hits such as "The Haunting of Hill House" and "Young Sheldon" further cement her reputation as one of the most versatile talents of her generation.

Mason Thames: the horror breakthrough and two major new projects

Mason Thames made his international breakthrough in 2021 with the horror thriller "The Black Phone". As Finney Blake, a kidnapped boy who communicates with the ghosts of previous victims via a mysterious phone, Thames was convincing across the board. With a mixture of vulnerability, courage and inner strength, he mastered a role that demands enormous emotional depth for a young actor. His performance was widely praised and immediately made him one of Hollywood's most exciting newcomers.

But "The Black Phone" was just the beginning. Thames had already shown his skills in the acclaimed Apple TV series "For All Mankind", in which he plays a younger version of Danny Stevens. The series, which deals with alternate histories of space travel, offered him an ideal stage to showcase his acting range beyond the horror genre.

However, Thames took his biggest step towards the mainstream so far this year with the live-action remake of "How To Train Your Dragon", which was released in cinemas in 2025. In the role of young Hiccup, he takes on one of the most popular characters in modern animated film history. With a mixture of adventurous spirit, warm-heartedness and charisma, Thames brought the fan-favorite character into a more real world, delighting both long-time fans of the saga and new audiences. The film is already one of the most important projects of his career to date.

Two young stars with bright futures

Both Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames have built remarkable careers in a short space of time. While Grace impresses with her enormous versatility and switches effortlessly between genres, Thames impresses with profound, emotionally driven roles and a natural screen presence. Their films to date impressively show that both are still at the very beginning of promising careers – and the film world is eagerly awaiting what comes next.