Tale as Old As Time Gets New Live-Action Vision: Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast

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Submitted by RJ Carter on Mon, 11/14/2016 - 09:55

With the success of the faithful live-action translation of CINDERELLA, the folks at Walt Disney Studios have moved on to yet another Disney Princess to give the real-world treatment: Belle.

Just from the stills alone, it's apparent that a brilliant casting job has been done, particularly with EMMA WATSON (HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE) as Belle and DAN STEVENS (DOWNTON ABBEY) as The Beast. Muscle-headed Gaston will be portrayed by LUKE EVANS of the upcoming PROFESSOR MARSTEN & THE WONDER WOMEN, and his comedic sidekick, Le Fou will be represented by JOSH GAD (PIXELS).

Cinematically, the trailer promises that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is going to be a visual spectacle, with all the wide-shots and grandeur that made the animated film a breakthrough in its production. And while I'm not all that impressed with the interpretation of the castle staff -- including EWAN MCGREGOR, IAN MCKELLEN and EMMA THOMPSON as the main trio of Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts, respectively -- I think the interpretation they did settle on retains a certain old-world elegance and charm.

See the trailer below and let us know your takes in the comments.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be released in U.S. theaters nationwide on March 17, 2017.

Grade:

4.5 / 5.0