Disney renames Rapunzel as ‘Tangled’

          Disney is wringing the pink out of its princess movies. After the less than fairy tales results for its most recent animated release, "The Princess and the Frog," executives at the Burbank studio believe they know why the acclaimed movie came up short at the box office. This time, Disney is taking measures to ensure that doesn't happen again. The studio renamed its next animated film with the girl-centric name "Rapunzel" to the less gender-specific "Tangled". The makeover of "Rapunzel" is more than cosmetic. Disney can ill afford a moniker that alienates half the potential audience, young boys, who are needed to make an expensive family film a success.

                      We've known for a while now that disney's upcoming fairytale animated film was renamed Tangled, even though it was based off the classic Brothers Grimm story Rapunzel, about a princess whose tower-length hair helps her to fall in love with a wandering prince. One could easily deduce that Disney was trying to appeal to a broader audience with the new title, but now an article by the Los Angeles Times spells out their reasoning precisely; getting more boys into the theater. According to the Times, Disney executives attribute the lackluster box office performance of The Princess and the Frog ($222 million worldwide) to the fact that boys didn't want to see a film with the name "Princess" in the title. Notably, Tangled restyles the original Rapunzel prince into flynn Rider, an "infamous bandit" who "meets his match" in Rapunzel, who has been re-imagined as a "feisty teen."

                     Ed Catmull, president of Pixar and Disney Animation, commented on the change, saying, "We did not want to be put in a box. Some people might assume it's a fairy tale girls when it's not. We make movies to be appreciated and loved by everybody." Disney eventually settled on Tangled as a title because it alluded to "a twisted version of the familiar story and the tangled relationship between the two lead characters." Plus, it obviously works as a reference to Rapunzel's 70-foot long hair.

                    Disney hopes the introduction of the slightly bad-boy character will help it tap the broadest possible audience for "Tangled", emulating the success of its corporate sibling, Pixar. Pixar's movies have been huge hits because they appeal to girls, boys and adults. It's most recent release, "Up," grossed more than $700 million worldwide. "The Princess and the Frog" generated considerably less, $222 million in global tickets sales to date. Based upon the response from fans and critics, we believe it would have been higher if it wasn't prejudged by its title," Catmull said. In rethinking "Rapunzel," Disney tested a number of titles, finally settling on "Tangled" because people responded to meanings beyond the obvious hair reference, a twisted version of the familiar story and the tangled relationship between the two lead characters.