The Beauty is ready to meet the Beast. As promised, Disney has unveiled the first teaser trailer for next year’s live-action rendition of Beauty and the Beast, placing Emma Watson in the lead role of Belle.
Telling a story as old as time itself, the House of Mouse is primed to reintroduce “the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.”
That grotesque prince in question will be played by Dan Stevens, best known for roles in Downtown Abbey and hit thriller The Guest. Of course, much of Beauty and the Beast will revolve around Stevens and Watson’s most unusual romance, though the pair will be headlining a star-studded lineup that comprises Luke Evans as Gaston, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere and Emma Thompson as Mrs Potts., along with Josh Gad, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kevin Kline and Audra McDonald.
Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) is directing Beauty and the Beast, which has been penciled in for a release on March 17, 2017. It’s part of a growing push for live-action remakes at the House of Mouse – one set to continue with the release of James Bobin’s imminent fantasy prequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass.
