It’s by no means the first – nor will it be the last – of Disney’s live-action reimaginings to light up the silver screen, but a hushed excitement has washed over Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast remake ahead of its theatrical bow in late March.
Perhaps it’s the all-star cast that the Mouse House has assembled – one headed up by Emma Watson and an unrecognizable Dan Stevens as the shunned monster – or the barnstorming success of the studio’s live-action output (see: The Jungle Book), but there’s no question that Condon’s beat-for-beat redo of Beauty and the Beast is one of the first major tentpoles of 2017. And so, with little over two months to go until release, Disney has premiered the latest TV spot for the movie, in which we see Stevens’ grotesque creature display his softer side as he attempts to woo Watson’s Belle.
For a film that fully embraces its 1991 original – watch the two versions side-by-side and the resemblance is almost uncanny – the potential success of Beauty and the Beast will no doubt hinge on the interplay between Stevens and Watson’s lovestruck leads, as they fight to overcome ancient spells and fearsome hunters to protect their unconditional love.
Look for Beauty and the Beast to grace theaters on March 17. If you’re wanting a taste of the film’s musical sensibilities prior to release, just recently Disney unveiled a video of Emma Watson belting out “Something There” from the official soundtrack, one composed, in part, by Alan Menken.
