“Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme… Beauty and the Beast.” That old tale will be getting a new retelling in 2017. Disney is preparing to release a live-action remake of the 1991 animated classic. The new version of Beauty and the Beast will star Harry Potter‘s Emma Watson as Belle and Downton Abbey‘s Dan Stevens as the Beast.
Disney hasn’t released much in the way of preview material for the new movie. So far we’ve had a teaser trailer and a poster, but they weren’t very revealing. A few leaked images last month brought us our first glimpses of Lumiere and Cogsworth, though.
Now two new leaked images have hit the internet and they reveal our first full looks at both Belle and the Beast.
A Beauty Named Belle
The first image features Belle in the book shop. It’s a near perfect reenactment of the original film’s opening number. Emma Watson’s Belle is even wearing a more detailed version of Belle’s original blue dress:
Emma Watson is so perfect to make “The beauty and The beast” ???????? pic.twitter.com/wIYwV05KKv
— Lore (@nopcaniff) September 30, 2016
In case you’ve forgotten the beginning of the original animated Beauty and the Beast, here’s a refresher of Belle singing “Little Town”:
Beauty… and the Beast
It’s the second new image, though, that’s really going to have people talking. Not only is it the first look at Beast, it’s a shot taken from the original film’s most famous sequence:
Emma Watson’s Belle Dances With Beast in New Beauty and the Beast Images pic.twitter.com/xlgqtnm0Od
— Great-Stuff (@Splurgehub) September 30, 2016
Emma Watson looks stunning in a new rendition of Belle’s famous yellow ballgown. It’s the Beast who demands our attention here, though. As you can see, the character will be an entirely CGI creation for the live-action film.
Beast retains most of his appearance from the animated version, with a few modifications. His face takes a little less inspiration from buffalo and has a slightly more werewolf-like appearance. The curved horns atop his head are more pronounced, as well. It gives him a more menacing, slightly demonic look.
Obviously, this is a recreation of the famous ballroom dance sequence. It’s the scene in the film where Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury) sings the famous theme song, “Beauty and the Beast.”
A Talented Cast and Crew
The new version of Beauty and the Beast is directed by Bill Condon. He won an Academy Award for writing the film Gods and Monsters, which he also directed. Condon also directed the final two installments of the Twilight series, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.
Screenwriter Stephen Chbosky previous collaborated with Emma Watson on The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chbosky wrote and directed the film, which was based on his own novel of the same name. He shares a writing credit on the new Beauty and the Beast with Evan Spiliotopoulos. The 2014 live-action version of Hercules and The Huntsman: Winter’s War are among Spiliotopoulos’ previous credits.
Watson and Stevens are joined by an all-star cast for the new Beauty and the Beast. Luke Evans takes on the role of Gaston, with Frozen‘s Josh Gad as his sidekick LeFou. Kevin Kline will play Maurice, Belle’s father. Ewan McGregor will give voice to Lumiere this time around. He’ll be joined by Sir Ian McKellen as Cogsworth. Emma Thompson will take over the role of Mrs. Potts.
The new version of Beauty and the Beast will be released in theaters on March 17, 2017.
What do you think of the new Beast? Are you excited for the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast?
