Disney is coming off a banner year for their theatrical releases. Behind the success of films like Inside Out 2, the House of Mouse is ready to keep the momentum moving forward at the box office. As the new year kicks off, there are plenty of juicy rumors about what the studio is developing down the line. One genre of movie the studio has put out in recent years is the origin stories of many famous villains. A good bad guy is essential to any classic movie and fans often love getting to see more of their favorite villains on screen. Rumors are circulating that Disney may be giving another fan-favorite villain, Mother Gothel, her own movie.
Disney Developing Mother Gothel Movie?
Nothing has been officially confirmed by the studio but here is what we do know. Tangled is getting the live-action treatment. While we don’t know many details, reports indicate it is in the early stages of development. Industry insider Daniel Richtman reported the studio is considering giving the villain of that movie, Mother Gothel, her own movie. There is no indication whether this would be a standalone movie for a lead-in to the live-action version.
It isn’t far-fetched that they would want to feature Rapunzel’s manipulative mother figure more on screen. Her limited time on screen in the original Tangled offers some of the best scenes in the entire movie. Her desperation to be young causes her to take drastic action. She flips from a caring mother to an evil kidnapper on a dime. She has a great song! Being able to flesh out more of her story would be fun to see, especially given Disney has past success with this type of film.
Past Hits
The studio first dabbled in the villain origin story with the Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent. This story retells the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty, focusing on the iconic villain rather than Princess Aurora and her family. They transformed her into more of an anti-hero rather than a villain. The box office numbers were so strong it spawned a sequel, showing that fans are willing to invest in these types of stories.
Cruella was another opportunity for Disney to show another side of an iconic bad guy. Emma Stone played Cruella De Vil, showing how the puppy-hating fashion icon became the person she is in 101 Dalmatians. Again, the movie performed well and a sequel is currently in the works. On a side note, if you haven’t seen this movie, you need to watch it. I thought this was the dumbest idea for a movie, but I watched it and was blown away.
Final Thoughts
A Mother Gothel film is very much in the rumor stage. Nothing has been confirmed. However, given the popularity of the movie Tangled and the past successes of villain-centric movies, it isn’t hard to see the studio wanting to lean into this character. She isn’t your traditional bad guy. Rapunzel is completely unaware of the bad intentions until late in the movie. We’ll have to wait and see if this rumor turns into reality or whether it is just a fun idea that got floated out.
