We’ve been given tiny peeks and shimmering glimpses, but now a full trailer for Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” has finally been released, and I’ve got the chills.
Based on Disney’s 1991 animated classic, which was the first animated feature to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, “Beauty and the Beast” stars Hermione Granger herself, Emma Watson, as Belle, and “Downton Abbey’s” Dan Stevens as the Beast. The rest of the cast of quirky characters includes Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as Le Fou, Kevin Kline as Maurice, Ewan McGregor as candelabra Lumiere, Ian McKellen as clock Cogsworth, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, Audra McDonald as Garderobe, and Stanley Tucci as Cadenza.
“Beauty and the Beast” marks Watson’s most high-profile project since the last installment of the Harry Potter franchise, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” was released in 2011. Post-Hogwarts, her credits include “My Week with Marilyn,” “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” “The Bling Ring,” and “Noah.”
When the animated “Beauty and the Beast” premiered, it offered something of a feminist twist on previously wrought Disney princesses. Belle is a book reader and a thinker who is brave, outspoken, and embraced her individuality. Belle was a game-changer for the Disney Princess. And now all of those little girls who saw her in the movie theater are all grown up — and might just have daughters of their own to share this film with.
The first teaser trailer broke a major record. It was viewed 91.8 million times in its first 24 hours, more than previous champ “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which earned 88 million. But this new trailer offers much more. Utilizing the same, Oscar-winning score, the story is set up, characters introduced, and conflict engaged. We might already know this tale as old as time, but that doesn't make this trailer any less thrilling.
