The release of Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast is now imminent; the moment when we finally get to see if Emma Watson and the rest of the all-star cast can do a much loved animated classic the justice it so richly deserves. In all honesty, so far, it seems as though the answer will be yes, though it still won't quite live up to the magic of the original. Even so, as Belle, Watson seems heavily invested in, and completely perfect for her part in the film as Belle.
Joining Watson onscreen in the Bill Condon-directed Beauty and the Beast will be Dan Stevens as the Beast, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, and Luke Evans as Gaston, to name but a few. The movie will keep the original Disney animated film's score, in addition to including some new songs written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice. Ahead of the release of Beauty and the Beast, a vast collection of motion posters have been released to promote the movie, along with non-moving posters featuring the various characters that appear in the movie (in their human form, in the case of The Beast's servants).
Following rumors last week about the final Beauty and the Beast trailer's imminent arrival, it has now been officially confirmed by Disney that the film's next (and last) theatrical preview arrives online this upcoming Monday, January 30. You can check out both the "non-moving" and "moving" Beauty and the Beast character posters, below:
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[vn_gallery name="Beauty and the Beast – Character Posters" id="888198"]
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.@EmmaWatson is Belle. See more when our final trailer for #BeautyAndTheBeast debuts this Monday. pic.twitter.com/T4k2W6HOLt— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
.@thatdanstevens is the Beast. #BeautyAndTheBeast pic.twitter.com/xHDuen9cL2— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
.@TheRealLukevans is Gaston. #BeautyAndTheBeast pic.twitter.com/TDnieLleK6— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
.@joshgad is LeFou. #BeautyAndTheBeast. pic.twitter.com/mBZJ3cyxr9— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
Emma Thompson is Mrs. Potts. #BeautyAndTheBeast pic.twitter.com/YftQUWyKSW— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
.@mcgregor_ewan is Lumiere. #BeautyAndTheBeast. pic.twitter.com/dsrSMRJa3T— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
.@IanMcKellen is Cogsworth. #BeautyAndTheBeast pic.twitter.com/htkOVqKlWA— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
Kevin Kline is Maurice. #BeautyAndTheBeast pic.twitter.com/gkFubA3Ea9— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
Gugu Mbatha-Raw is Plumette. #BeautyAndTheBeast pic.twitter.com/zvSQpBtDXx— DisneyMoviesAnywhere (@DisneyAnywhere) January 26, 2017
Each of the posters features the actors in what would be considered a typical pose for their character; such as Belle looking demure yet determined, Lumiere being warm and welcoming, and Gaston looking arrogant. The Beast's servants appear in their human form, and it's interesting to note that after their enchanted forms were revealed in previous trailers, much of the promotion since has focused on them in human form. Possibly this could be because the enchanted forms drew some criticism for not looking as warm and endearing as their animated counterparts, or it just could be because Disney want to get their money's worth from the actors. Either way, it's good to see more of the human side to these characters since that is severely lacking in the animated Beauty and the Beast.
Also worth noting is the inclusion of Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald, and Stanley Tucci as Plumette, Garderobe, and Cadenza, respectively. Firstly, Cadenza (who is turned into a Grand Piano when the curse strikes) is an entirely new addition to Beauty and the Beast, while the roles of Plumette and Garderobe have been greatly enhanced from the animated movie. It will be interesting to see how they fit in, and certainly good to see Plumette promoted to be more than the flirty feather duster girlfriend of Lumiere.
The most important question, though, is will the final Beauty and the Beast trailer showcase more singing from the cast? One would certainly hope so! Either way, the soundtrack will be released on March 10th, one week before the movie arrives, so we'll get a good listen then, at least, if not before.
Source: Walt Disney Pictures
