Rapunzel changes her title

[geoffa]

Both Blue Sky Disney and SlashFilm have confirmed that Disney has changed the title of their upcoming animated film Rapunzel to simply just Tangled instead. The film is an animated retelling of the classic Rapunzel fairy tale about a girl with incredibly long hair stuck in a very tall castle. Disney's version of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale has been in development for a long time, originally using computer animation techniques to make it look painted, but I think that was only in the early version. So why get rid of a very recognizable title? For marketing purposes of course. Read on!

Blue Sky Disney goes on to explain that, after the mediocre-to-good success of The Princess and the Frog ($101 million in US box office), Disney is rethinking their marketing strategies for upcoming animated movies. They (meaning the execs and John Lasseter and so on) think that boys don't want to go see "girlie" movies and Rapunzel is instantly perceived as female because it's a story about a girl with the long hair. So by changing the name they give it some new life. Apparently it's not that girlie of a story either, so boys will still enjoy it. Other title considerations include the original Unbraided and The Thief in the Tower, too.

Tangled is being co-directed by Nathan Greno (head of story on Bolt) and Byron Howard (co-director of Bolt). Providing the voices in the film will be Mandy Moore (as Rapunzel), Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, and David Schwimmer. This new telling of the classic fairy tale will transport audiences "to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair, lots of hair."