Zazie Beetz Is Working On A Rapunzel Movie, Complete With A Massive Afro

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your [afro] ..."

Zazie Beetz as Rapunzel with a huge 'fro: can you picture it? Beetz and her fiancée and writing partner, David Rysdahl, can. They're working on a script that would give the German fairy tale, collected by the Brothers Grimm in their 1812 anthology, "Children's and Household Tales" (now known as "Grimms' Fairy Tales"), a new hairstyle.

Beetz herself holds dual citizenship in Germany and the U.S. She was born in Berlin to a German father and African American mother, and she still speaks German, so she'd be tapping into part of her heritage as Rapunzel. Rysdahl, meanwhile, is an actor in his own right who can currently be seen in the thriller "No Exit." He and Beetz co-starred in "Dead Pigs," the feature-length debut of "Birds of Prey" director Cathy Yan.

Rysdahl recently spoke to ScreenRant, where he teased a Rapunzel story he and Beetz are writing, with a modern yet '70s-retro twist (at least in terms of hair). He said:

"There's something I can't talk about but it's going to be exciting. But Zazie and I write a lot. I have a couple of scripts. We have a production company and we write a lot. Like I just said twice. Did I mention we write a lot? (laughs). So we are making a Rapunzel story, kind of what happens after, for Zazie. She'll have a huge afro. That's something we're excited about writing ... [Zazie's playing Rapunzel] in the script that we made! Yeah. She's gonna kill it. She's so good."

This Rapunzel Would Explore 'What Happens After'

On screen, the most famous adaptation of the Rapunzel fairy tale is undoubtedly Disney's 2010 computer-animated musical feature, "Tangled," in which Mandy Moore voiced Rapunzel as a plucky, blonde-haired, singing maiden in a tower. Other Rapunzels have also appeared in "Shrek" and the ABC series "Once Upon a Time."

Rysdahl mentioned further that his and Beetz's version of Rapunzel would be a sequel-like take that focuses on "what happens after." That makes its sound like it would follow Afro Rapunzel after she escapes the tower and reintegrates into society or goes off on other adventures. Personally, I'm on board with anything Beetz wants to do, as I think she's been a real standout presence in films like "The Harder They Fall" and "Deadpool 2," the latter of which also saw her rocking an afro as Domino.

During the pandemic, many of us have played Rapunzel ... stuck indoors, our hair growing longer — curling up in a cowlick, perhaps, making us feel like werewolves — while our only contact with the outside world has come through one window. Or maybe that's just me! (I could use a haircut, how about you?)

Beetz and Rysdahl are developing this Rapunzel project through their production company, Sleepy Banner. We'll stay awake and alert to see if this particular afro does indeed grow out into a real film production.

Read this next: The 14 Best Animated Movies (That Aren't Made By Disney Or Pixar)

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