Disney releases the first teaser for their live-action Beauty and the Beast, and it’s filled with the magic and heartbreak we remember from the animated film. Watch the trailer below!
Last week in a post about the celebration of Disney Channel’s 100th original movie, I mentioned that the 1990s were the hey-day of the Disney Channel. You know what? I’m going to make a similar assertion about Walt Disney Studios: the late 1980s to early 2000s was the pinnacle of Disney animated feature films too. Think about it—year after year, they delivered hits like The Little Mermaid (1989), The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and on and on! This list is no-where near exhaustive (only some of my favorites).
Interestingly, while Walt Disney Studios is still releasing animated blockbusters (hello Frozen!), recently we’ve seen a resurgence of live-action retellings of the stories we love so much. In the last two years, we’ve been treated to live action versions of Sleeping Beauty (Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie), Cinderella (starring Lily James, Cate Blanchette), and The Jungle Book (starring Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba).
And now we can add Beauty and the Beast to the list! The story of the book-loving, independent Belle and how her kindness and love broke the curse plaguing brooding Beast will be returning to theaters next year.
In this live-action reboot, Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) directs Emma Watson (Belle), Dan Stevens (Beast), and Luke Evans (Gaston). Other cast members include Kevin Kline (Maurice), Josh Gad (LeFou), Ewan McGregor (Lumiere), Stanley Tucci (Cadenza), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Plumette), Audra McDonald (Wardrobe), Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), and Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts).
Yesterday, Disney released the first teaser trailer, and it’s filled with the magic and heartbreak we remember from the animated film. We see glimpses of the Beast’s solitary life and some of the pain and anger he lives with in the aftermath of the curse. But then Belle walks in with her brightness and optimism, and even Cogsworth and Lumiere recognize that change is on the horizon! Watch it below:
*FLAILS* The rose/rose petals, the musical strains in the background (tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme…), Cogsworth and Lumiere’s bickering… so many wonderful memories and feels! And Emma is the most lovely Belle! It’s only just a glimpse and I’m desperate for more, especially THE DRESS.
Beauty and the Beast hits theaters on March 17, 2017, and I can’t wait to take advantage of their invitation to #BeOurGuest!
What did you think of the teaser trailer? What scenes are you most looking forward to? Share your thoughts in comments!
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is 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. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe, the wardrobe; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
Directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon from a screenplay by TBD based on the 1991 animated film, the film is produced by Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman with eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the 1991 animated film, providing the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as several new songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice. “Beauty and the Beast” will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.