Throughout the weekend, a select group of people have been taking in the sights and sounds of Disney’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. During the Anaheim-based festivities, numerous announcements have been made about movies, TV, theme parks and more. The live-action Tangled movie was also represented at the event, and a major piece of casting news was revealed as part of that. As sweet as that was, though, it doesn’t top the fact that a Hollywood icon is teaming up with Disney World for a cool project.
Disney’s Live-Action Tangled Movie Taps An Outlander Star For A Key Role
At present, Tangled is filming (and we’ve even reached the point where set photos have reached the Internet). Something that wasn’t revealed by leaks ahead of D23 was the casting of Caitríona Balfe of Outlander fame. It was revealed during the event – which CinemaBlend attended – that Balfe would play the role of Queen Arianna, who’s the mother of the main character, Rapunzel. As of this writing, Balfe herself has publicly spoken about being cast in the movie, which opens in theaters on March 31, 2028.
It goes without saying that this is a major pickup for Michael Gracey’s upcoming Disney movie! What’s more is that Balfe is already joining an exciting ensemble of performers led by Rapunzel and Flynn Rider actors Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim. Also, playing the villainous mother Gothel is Kathryn Hahn and, during D23, the fan-favorite actress enthusiastically addressed fans who “manifested” the role for her. Other cast members include Andor’s Diego Luna as well as Elliot Cowan and Patrick & Hugo McPherson.
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Tangled footage was shown at the fan event as well, though none of that featured Balfe. Still, the mere fact that she’s been cast is exciting on its own. As I said earlier, though, there’s another Disney hiring that’s really blowing me away.
Disney World Partners With An Oscar Nominee For A Major Attraction
For years now, Disneyland has been the home of Indiana Jones Adventure, a dark ride centered around the adventures of the famous, fedora-wearing adventurer. It was announced in 2024, though that a new Indy attraction was being developed for Walt Disney World Resort. That ride is called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent and, at this year’s D23, it was announced that Harrison Ford would officially be involved with the ride. Check out Ford’s response in the pre-taped message that was shared to Instagram:
As mentioned in the video, what’s particularly significant about this piece of news is that Ford is the “actual model” for the Jones in this ride, which is replacing the Dinosaur attraction. To say that I’m delighted that the A-lister’s likeness is being utilized would be an understatement. While Ford’s big-screen tenure as Indy ended with the underrated Dial of Destiny, I’m glad the House of Mouse has found a way to keep him in the fold.
Harrison Ford has historically been humble and self-deprecating when it comes to his role as Jones as well as his other iconic characters. Funny enough, back in 2025, Ford joked with Jimmy Kimmel about not having been on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. (Co-star Ke Huy Quan rode it, though, and had a ball.) While Ford’s collaboration with Disney Parks marks a major boon for the upcoming attraction, it also signifies yet another way in which the star will leave his famous fingerprints on pop culture.
With the news about Ford and Caitríona Balfe coming out of D23 alongside a host of other announcements, it’s clear that fans have a lot to be excited about. I’m eager for more announcements regarding Tangled and the new Indiana Jones ride. Let’s hope further updates arrive sooner rather than later.
