Original "Rapunzel" Concept Art for Eugene Fitzherbert

[weber_dubois22]

LIKE WITH MOST DISNEY films, TANGLED went through development hell in the sense that no one seemed able to come up with concrete or solid character designs and storylines they wanted to see developed. And in a strange way, the racebent art, the product given and the information behind its production tends to herald a sad tale of "what if, that could've been awesome" woes. So many interesting concepts ditched for a mainstream approach. The most changed character in the film is undoubtedly "Flynn Ryder", who went from a Romani thief, a heavy set man, a modern day brat of a boy in musical battle with Rapunzel, to a plethora of other things before reaching the Han Solo Disney Prince Parody presented in the film. Artist Jim Kim's design for the character was the Romani thief named Bastion who truly appeared like he could sweet talk or fight his way out a situation as absurd as a raging horse with a hard on to arrest him, problematic as his very design and desgination (theif, the Roma are always bloody thieves) happens to be.

+ Tangled (Formerly known as Rapunzel) (2010) character design by Jin Kim
During the production of Rapunzel, Bastion evolved from a lovable bear into a gypsy Romani thief. Bastion, in this form, is very much based on the actor Johnny Depp. This is the final version of Rapunzel’s hero until Nathan Greno and Byron Howard took the directorial reigns and morphed this thief into Flynn Rider [X].

I think I would've rather loved me some Bastion. RIP beautiful character concept.
More Romani Bastion Here.

Comments

[pikapika217.livejournal.com]

I'm tied to the more bearish Finn look myself but more for me and less for Rapunzel XD

I hope they reuse this design in the future tho - he's cute!

[weber_dubois22]

I'm partial to the Bear!Flynn myself, more or less because of his body language and the way he interacts with Rapunzel implies that would've been a radically different character than what was given.

[severus-falter.livejournal.com]

Damn.