Over the past few years, in addition to continuing to expand their Marvel and Star Wars cinematic universes, Walt Disney Studios has been busy turning a number of their more iconic and beloved animated classics into live-action films. Beginning with titles like Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland, the results were disappointing to most at first, but have slowly been getting better and better with each passing year, especially after both The Jungle Book and Pete’s Dragon wound up being two of the most critically acclaimed films of last year. Disney has already announced a number of other, high-profile live-action reimaginings set to be released over the next few years, in what looks to be yet another highly profitable trend for the studio to set.
But none of Disney’s remakes or reimaginings have had quite the same level of hype surrounding them as this year’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. Based on the beloved 1991 animated film of the same name, the trailers were met with consistently record-breaking viewership numbers upon their release, and Beauty and the Beast is also tracking the be the fastest-selling family film in the history of cinema. In a year filled with highly anticipated, big budget films still yet to be released - including a number from Disney itself - it’s already shaping up to be one 2017’s biggest films.
With just 10 days to go until Beauty and the Beast is released, Disney doesn’t appear to have any plans on slowing down their marketing and promotion for the movie either. After consistently releasing new clips and TV spots for the film over the past few weeks, the studio has unveiled both a new small clip (see above), along with a brand new TV spot (see below). The former focuses entirely on Ewan McGregor’s Lumiere, as he plans a kind of romantic dinner for Belle (Emma Watson) that she’s never quite experienced before.
It’s not all that surprising how much hype and buzz Beauty and the Beast has been able to generate over the past year or so, when taking into account both the still-beloved nature of the original animated film, and the sheer level of creative talent that Disney has stacked the film with. It boasts one of the most impressive casts of the year (and maybe ever), with talented veteran names like McGregor, Watson, Dan Stevens (The Beast), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts), Luke Evans (Gaston), Josh Gad (LeFou), Kevin Kline (Maurice), Stanley Tucci (Cadenza), Audra McDonald (Madame Garderobe), and more all bringing their individual skills and talents to the film’s characters.
So far, Beauty and the Beast has received positive reviews from critics leaving early screenings, with some calling it one of the most magical and heartwarming films audiences are likely to see this year. Again, that’s not necessarily surprising considering it’s an adaptation of the first animated film to ever be nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award, but it’s the kind of reassuring news that Beauty and the Beast fans should be delighted to hear. In a year that’s already turned out some truly impressive and incredible blockbuster films (see: Logan, John Wick: Chapter 2, The LEGO Batman Movie), it’s saying something that Beauty and the Beast looks to be yet another high-point, and it’s coming just three months into the calendar year, no less.
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Source: Disney
- Beauty and the Beast Release Date: 2017-03-17
