Walt Disney Studios has released a first sneak-peek teaser for its upcoming live-action musical revamp of Beauty and the Beast — arriving in theaters March 17, 2017. The subtle spot shows us brief vignettes set inside the Beast’s castle, showing its candle-lit opulence fading to abandonment and decay; plus some voiceover hints and a brief glimpse of Emma Watson’s Belle.
Directed by Bill Condon (Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 & 2), 2017’s Beauty and the Beast will be a retelling of the studio’s 1991 animated classic, which famously was the first animated feature ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. The animated film did take the Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, and composer Alan Menken and lyricist Howard Ashman return for this take, joined by lyricist Tim Rice who collaborated on new songs for the Beauty and the Beast stage musical. Disney says this film will stay true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs.
Synopsis:
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.
