Beauty and the Beast (2017) Soundtrack cover - cropped

2017 is already looking like a very big year for Disney Studios, with three new Marvel films and the next installment in the Star Wars saga set to be released between now and December 31. The studio is starting their year off big, too, with the release of Beauty and the Beast. Based on the Academy Award-winning 1991 animated film of the same name, it's the latest film in Disney's recent live-action adaptation trend and is no doubt the most highly anticipated of them all so far. Featuring an all-star cast, stunning visuals, and an admirable faithfulness to the original film, it's not hard to see why either.

Marketing for the film has been steadily growing over the past few weeks, and with only a little over a month left to go until it hits theaters, audiences can expect to see a whole lot more about the film in the coming weeks. Following the recent release of the final Beauty and the Beast trailer this week as well, the studio has announced that it will also be the latest film to get the Funko Pop treatment.

Revealed online today by Funko, the company and Disney have released the first images of the upcoming Beauty and the Beast edition Funko figures. The initial line will include multiple different versions released of Emma Watson's Belle, in all of her different outfits throughout the film, as well as The Beast and some of the other servants living in his castle. Take look for yourself in the gallery below:

[vn_gallery name="Beauty and the Beast (2017) Funko Toys" id="893190"]

Considering Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to ever get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, the new film certainly has some mighty high expectations to live up to. Luckily, the film has stacked the odds in its favor with pitch-perfect casting decisions like Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, and more. And based on the record-breaking, positive reactions to Beauty and the Beast trailers alone, the film already appears to have recaptured that same feeling that has made the 1991 film so beloved throughout the years.

Whether or not the live-action adaptation is actually able to live up to those expectations, of course, is still a mystery. But the film has garnered more attention than any of Disney's previous live-action adaptations, and become one of the can't-miss blockbusters set to hit theaters this year. Normally, that'd be a feat in and of itself, but in a year that features multiple blockbuster sequels which fans have been waiting years to see, that only goes to show how deeply loved the Beauty and the Beast story has become. Only a few more weeks to go until it's released, and in the meantime, Beauty and the Beast fans can at least get excited about adding those Cogsworth and Lumiere figures to their collection.

Next: Beauty and the Beast Trailer Comparison: Live-Action vs. Original

Source: Funko

Key Release Dates