Disney’s ongoing project to translate its treasured animated classics into live action will face its biggest test on March 17 with the release of Beauty and the Beast. The beloved Oscar winning 1992 film is widely considered one of the finest movies the studio has ever produced, leaving the upcoming adaptation facing some pretty fierce scrutiny from fans.
During last night’s Academy Awards, a brand new TV spot debuted and the nicest thing you can say about it is that it genuinely looks like the animated film come to life. Director Bill Condon has apparently gone to extraordinary lengths to capture the atmosphere of the original, the spot introducing friendly candlestick butler Lumiere (voiced by Ewan McGregor) and a good look at one of my favorite Disney villains, the famously egotistical loudmouth Gaston (Luke Evans).
Right now, color me cautiously optimistic about this one. Dan Stevens and Emma Watson seem like a good bet as the titular couple and it’s difficult to see how you can go too wrong with a supporting cast featuring Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline and Ian McKellen. Still, there’s a definite whiff of “Did this really need to be made?” about the whole project.
My one hope is that they’ve got the entirety of the Gaston song in there – if I don’t get to see Luke Evans rip his shirt open and yell about how he’s fantastically covered in hair, I’m asking for my money back.
Here’s hoping Beauty and the Beast is more like the unexpectedly great The Jungle Book and less like Cinderella, a film so dull that I can remember absolutely nothing about it.
