Earlier this month, Walt Disney Studios took a huge step forward with the live-action Tangled movie by casting its lead roles. Titans’ Teagan Croft will play Rapunzel, and Zombies and School Spirits actor Milo Manheim will play Flynn Rider. Well, Manheim just offered an update on what’s been going on since he nabbed the role, and he’s already picking up a lot of impressive skills.
It sounds like Tangled isn’t wasting much time getting its actors prepared for the live-action production, considering what Manheim recently said about what he’s been doing lately. In his words:
Right now I’m learning how to hold my breath for five minutes. I’m learning how to ride a horse right now… that’s the thing I’m most excited about. I mean, I was like, ‘Whatever y’all need me to do, be as ambitious as possible.'
The 24-year-old was officially announced to be the live-action Flynn Rider on January 7, and per his interview on Live With Kelly and Mark, the work has already started. He’s currently working on holding his breath, which makes me instantly think about the“I Have A Dream” sequence (which he told CinemaBlend he was most excited to recreate), since right after that, Flynn and Rapunzel end up in a sticky situation involving a large body of water.
And of course, Flynn Rider is best friends with his loyal steed, Maximus, which was designed after an Andalusian horse in the animated film. Manheim shared his enthusiasm over learning how to ride a horse while the talk show hosts joked with him about how his 6’3" height means it’ll be rather easy for him to get on a horse. As the Tangled lead continued:
They’re looking for a giant stallion to make me look normal-sized… They’re going to make these angles work, you guys. Movie magic, we’ll figure it out. But I’ve always loved horses, so I can’t wait for that.
Manheim has been a longtime fan-favorite to portray Flynn Rider – fans even found an interview from a year ago where he showed his love for the character. Now that he’s got it, it sounds like he’s working hard in the pre-production phase, especially after telling fans he would “do him justice”. As if horseback riding and holding one’s breath weren’t enough, he also said this:
This whole experience has just opened up so many doors. I mean, I’m learning how to rock climb right now. I’m meeting so many fantastic new people. I get to travel the world. Life is good.
Hey Milo, don’t forget to make sure you practice that smoulder in the mirror too while you’re at it, huh? Manheim’s latest comments about starring in Tangled definitely make the movie feel all the more real, and indicate to us how physical the role of Flynn Rider will be for the actor. Zachary Levi, who originated the role, had it easy doing the whole part in a voice booth!
Milo Manheim was on Dancing With The Stars back in 2018, and finished in second place with Witney Carson (who recently showed her love to him for getting the role), so he’s got a great track record of learning a new skill with grace under high pressure. Now we don’t know exactly when Tangled is filming, but we’d imagine it’ll be sometime this year. For now, you can see Manheim in the new season of School Spirits, where new episodes are premiering for those with a Paramount+ subscription on Wednesdays.
