CASTING SCOOP: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
There is a method to the madness of social media. The fact that we can instantly share things with the click of a button and news appears on our timelines at lightning speed means there is a bevy of information at our fingertips. Here’s the thing. Last night I overshared about the recent casting news to hit my Twitter timeline. My “fangirl 101” obsession came out. Yes, I can admit to it. Most of you have probably heard about this, but because of that (and the fact that I shared about Cinderella’s casting on this blog), I couldn’t resist sharing – and since there was no publishing plans for the blog today… I decided it was worth a ramble.
CASTING SCOOP: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
CASTING SCOOP: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST #thearchives Share on XDisney officially announced they’d be making a live-action version of the “timeless tale,” Beauty and the Beast and Emma Watson was attached to star as the Belle character. (This was “set in stone” a while back.) Though I’ve seen Emma in very little, I think she’ll do this role justice. Yesterday news broke that Luke Evans was signed on to star as Gaston, who we all know as the “baddie” of this story. But wait for it. Last night, it broke that Dan Stevens – *insert fangirl squeals* – had been confirmed (multiple sites) as the Beast.
Of course, there is a chance this is merely fodder to get us excited. Though one can hope not. We all know Dan as the beloved – and still miss, Matthew Crawley of Downton Abbey. I confess I’m not entirely sure about this as regards Dan’s looks because Dan
does tend to have a “baby face” (meaning he has a really youthful face whereas the Beat character should be… dark, brooding and “harsh”) but as an actor, I have no doubts of his talent. This could also be merely because I haven’t seen him play a “tortured”
soul before. I think he’ll be splendid and in full beast-ly costume, he’s going to make this role epic.
There you have it, friends. If you’ve not seen this already on your FB, Twitter or other news feeds, I’d love to chat with you about your impressions – who did you envision in the roles? If you have and still want a place to vent or fangirl, the comments are open! Sound off with any thoughts you have on this ‘Casting Scoop: Beauty and the Beast.’
Can't wait first Cinderella and now Beauty and the Beast! :) I hope they recreate Brave and Snow White also.
Shannon
I hope they continue on this path, no matter what comes! Brave would be awesome to see, though I was pretty satisfied with the recent "Snow White" remakes, so I could do without seeing that story right away. Cannot wait for this and Cinderella. :D
so true, even my oldest wants to see if they do Brave. We remembered another one that would be great Princess and the Frog
Shannon
Brave would be epic! I remember loving the animated film and loving the "female Robin Hood" notion – in the sense that her weapon of choice was a bow and arrow. :)
I'm not as familiar with the Princess and Frog story, but I'd totally be there if it was made.
Luke Evans is going to be Gaston <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 …….okay, I'm composed now. Sorry about that.
I love how Emma Watson AND Emma Thomspon are going to be in this.
Dan Stevens looks good for the Beast… I can definitely see him doing a good job with that.
Me and a guy friend (who is a total fanboy about musicals and such), were fanshipping (???) over this movie last night… heehee
LOL, this is a place where no apologies is necessary for fangirling. ;)
I'm glad! I'm anxious to see Dan in this as well. He's going to be awesome.
I'd forgotten this was going to be a musical in addition to live-action, so I'm excited to see what comes of these actors singing. :)
I'm so glad you posted more about this. I saw your tweets last night and am super excited about this movie … well ALL of these live action fairy tales from Disney. Beauty and the Beast is one of my very favorites!
Hi, Brooke! Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts. I was super excited about this news, so it seemed too fun to pass up sharing up. Like you, I'm excited about all of these live-action re-tellings and hope Disney (or someone) continues to bring them alive. And I hope this adaptation does the story justice. It's a favorite for so many of us. :)
AH!! This is so exciting! :-) And Matthew! What fun! :-) I'm getting more and more excited to see this movie!
Me too, Shantelle! It's going to be grand seeing Matthew (Dan) in something other than the role we all loved him in. Speaking of which, did you ever see him in the 2008 mini series Sense and Sensibility? He was great in that, too. :)
You know what, I believe I did… he was Elinor's beloved, right? :-) It is going to be fun seeing him in this new role! The beast… It's going to be great! :D
Yes, that was him! :) It will be. When I like an actor, I *have* to see everything they star in (well, within reason) and am usually excited to see them play a different kind of role, which is just what this will be for Dan. :)
I want to watch this — this movie where the beauty is played by an actual beauty, and Edward Ferrars is a grumpy monster with a heart of gold, and my favorite Bowman Bard is a cheesy beefcake and a villain — right now!
ME TOO, Sarah! This casting news has reminded me how much! Hope the filming is going to start before long and maybe by next year (at the latest) it'll be on our screens. Cannot wait! :)
I'm so excited about this movie! 2016 can't get here fast enough!
I'm definitely okay with the casting so far. B&B is my favorite movie of all item, so I'm pretty picky. It's kind of funny because I'm familiar with all of these actors, but I've only seen them in one role-well Dan Stevens in two- so while I am a *little* nervous about the casting, it's mostly because I just haven't seen these actors in a variety of roles.
Oh, and IMDB has "rumored" casting for both Maurice (Timothy Spall) and Lefou (Matt Lucas). I've seen Timothy Spall in oodles of roles, but I hadn't thought I'd seen Matt Lucas in anything until I looked him up- he was Tweedle Dee/Dum in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Of course, that casting isn't set in stone, but it is interesting.
I hope Disney keeps these "classic" live action movies coming!
*time, not item *slaps forehead* I'm a little overexcited, can you tell? ;)
Is that when its set to release!? We were saying we weren't sure yet… however I would imagine sometime next year, it will indeed appear on our screens.
I understand that. I'm excited mainly because I do know these actors are fabulous (meaning, they can act in my opinion), but whether or not I'll like them in these roles is another story.
Thanks for the additional casting rumors, Hayden! This is looking better and better. Timothy plays a lot of "comedy" roles if I'm thinking of the right actor, so he'd be a great addiction. Like you, I'm not familiar with Matt's name though I did see Burton's 'Wonderland.' Makes me want to watch it again now. :)
Me too! I cannot wait to see what else is planned. :)
*squeal* I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS. 2016 cannot come soon enough!
My exact thoughts – complete with caps lock – spelled out, Meghan. Cannot. Wait. :D
I am so ridiculously excited about this! Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie (favorite animated film ever), and I'm thrilled over the casting. I think Emma Watson will be a perfect Belle, and I'm excited to see more familiar faces…though honestly I can imagine Dan Stevens more as Gaston and the other guy more as the Beast! Ha. I guess I just can't picture Dan Stevens as a scraggly, rugged beast. We'll see!
I hope they're still planning on this being a musical. Because the songs from Beauty and the Beast are amazing! I do love the idea of Dan Stevens belting out the lyrics from "Gaston." :)
I had that thought also, Kristin – not necessarily switching them, but when I read Luke had been cast as Gaston, I thought he could just as easily play the beast. That being said, as it stands now, I think everyone will do their respective roles justice. And I guess the cast has been tweeting about these announcements, so for now, it must be "real." *sequel*
From what I read, a musical is still in the cards. Emma has been interviewed saying she's taking voice lessons and like you, I'm thrilled at the idea of seeing Dan burst into song… this is going to be EPIC. ;)
I keep seeing this about this Dan guy. Everyone's excitement is fueling my curiosity about this particular actor and the whole movie in general.
He's a pretty great actor, Ganise. Or I think so. :) His main "claim to fame" was Downton Abbey (which is why he's so popular now), but before that, he also starred in the 2008 BBC miniseries Sense and Sensibility.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Rissi! Your blog is my main source for information like this, so I very much appreciate that you keep it coming! :)
I have not seen Emma Watson in anything, but her looks seem right!
DAN STEVENS AS THE BEAST!!! I have only seen him in S&S and I just never would have thought of him in such a part, but now… I have the feeling he is going to be AMAZING!
Thank you for letting me know that, Eowyn. It's always nice to know what readers like vs. dislike. :)
I saw her in Ballet Shoes when she was a lot younger; very good movie and great performance from her.
Dan Stevens doesn't sound like the typically "right" actor, but like you, I think he'll be fantastic. Cannot wait to see more about this film… particularly the photos once they start showing up…! :)
After tweeting with you yesterday, I was SO excited that I immediately told all my sisters about this one! So happy you posted more on it. This goodie is definitely gush-worthy. ;) The cast is PERFECT. And this really can't come fast enough. :D Thanks for sharing!
I agree, Bekah… hopefully 2016 will be the release for this one. And we'll be getting sneak peek images soon too. ;)
I'm glad you and your sisters are excited… I'm right there with you. Cannot wait for all of these. I was thinking Disney maybe has another live-action film in the works… maybe Jungle Book? But don't quote me on that. Much as I love fairytales, that would could be fun too.
I think my previous comment is floating off in the interwebs…
Anyhoo, I am 1001% okay with this cast so far. I am a little disappointed that I can't root for Evans' character because GASTON! But other than that yesssss!!! I couldn't be against a Crawley. ;-)
Oh, dear! I'm sorry… did the interwebs chew it up!? :) Silly technology.
I'm cool with it, too, Renee. As you say, how can we not like a Crawley!? And one so wonderful as Matthew was to boot!? Fabulous character and actor. Glad you joined in. :)
I am so excited for this!!!!!! Luke Evans as Gaston *fangirl squeal*?! That is awesome!
I've never seen Emma Watson in any movie or Dan Stevens, but I am sure it will be fantastic.
Me. Too. Cannot wait to see what else comes from this, Kara. This cast is looking very smart to far. :) Emma was in the little known British film Ballet Shoes which is a darling albeit bittersweet movie based on the novel of the same name. So good! :)
I hate to be a Debbie Downer but I was a little disappointed with Emma Watson's casting…not b/c I think she's s a bad actress (I've seen her in the Harry Potter movies and she seemed to have a lot of potential) but to me, she just looks so young, especially when compared to the male actors. I wanted a lead actress who looked a little older b/c as of now the age disparity between Emma/Luke/Dam seems a bit much. I'm sure all three will be great…just looks-wise, it seemed a little mismatched to me.
You're not a downer at all, Lis! I love that everyone is sharing what they think and you bring up an interesting point. I didn't check the ages, but I assumed there was a gap between them. That being said, I am hoping Emma will hold her own and the cast will work together well. :)
To be honest, I didn't have any visions of who would be cast, only I had been hearing for a long time that Emma was slated to play Belle. I think originally WB had the film then Disney began developing it. So, this has been a long time coming… hope it's good! :)
Ahh, the amazing thing about Twitter…Don't need to wait for a blog post when you can share your thoughts (and learn about news items) instantly on Twitter to everyone ;)
I kind of had to think for a moment what you meant by Dan Stevens' "baby face" but I get it now :) Though I noticed in recent movies like The Guest and A Walk Amongst the Tombstones that he's sort of shedding that (for the latter, he looked rather gaunt (appropriate for the role, I suppose))
Yes, that is too true. News at the speed of Twitter. Or something. ;)
LOL, my apologies, Lianne! I really do need to remember that most people don't know how to take my way of translating or knowing what I mean in how I describe something. I have clarified it – hopefully better. :D I am curious about the "Tombstones" movie because a.) Dan is in it and b.) I like Liam Neeson's movies.
I just heard about this the other day! Love who they are going to have in the movie! Should be really good!
I agree… so far it's shaping up to be a fantastic cast – and Emma Thompson is rumored to be a part of the cast as well. Even better. :)
So you are well aware by now that I've been fangirling with you! Therefore I'll try not to bombard you with too much gushing, but I make no absolute promises. BECAUSE THIS NEWS IS AWESOME! There. I said it. Again. I AM SO EXCITED! ;)
I am so far out of the loop that I didn't remember hearing about Emma being attached to the project already. In fact! I didn't even remember hearing that they were going to do this project at all! But yay! I think Emma will be fab. I haven't seen her in much myself, but she certainly has the looks (for how I'd picture a real life Belle) and, without question, the talent to pull it off. As for Luke Evans, I haven't seen him in anything before (but The Hobbit is nearing the top of my to watch list! No worries! ;), but he definitely looks like Gaston. And everything I hear about him is all good, so I'm sure he'll be great. As for Dan?! I do have to admit that he doesn't have the "beastly" look currently. So it is hard to picture him that way. But Hollywood can do amazing things with costumes and makeup, so I'm pretty confident they'll make him into his character without too much trouble at all. And as you said, he has the skill, the charisma, the whatever you want to call it, to play this character awesomely! And I am THRILLED. Cannot wait to see this! The only trouble is now we have to wait months and months and months before we'll ever get the chance. *sigh* That's the only downside to hearing casting news. :)
Gushing is always welcome, Kara… we cannot limit ourselves where fairytale awesome-ness (or books… or superheroes… or… well, any fangirl situation) is concerned. :)
I believe this was originally slated to be a film for Warner Brothers, and Emma to star as well as a popular director was rumored to be attached. Then more recently, Disney had a project in the works (which is this adaptation) and Emma was again, rumored to star. I think she'll be spectacular in the role! I do think Luke will make a splendid Gaston; I think I have seen him in a couple of things, but what… I cannot remember. As for Dan, just seeing him in something again will be wonderful. He was such a pivotal part of Downton Abbey. Ditto! With make-up/costumes, I think Dan will pass very well – and he does have the great talent to make the role work.
I hear you. The months of waiting will be tough. In the meantime, I look forward to future gushing with you about this project. :)
Reallly? FABULOUS! I heart Emma and while I don't know him I like his look.
Hi Juju! So glad to see you around the blogosphere again, friend. :)
Isn't this fabulous!? Cannot wait for more promo material. I've seen Luke in a film or two, but I love Dan in the 2008 miniseries of Sense and Sensibility. :)
Just love this!! So excited and I can squeel with you any time. ;) I love these new films!! Avengers, Star Wars, Maleficent, on and on…
Me too, Tressa! Anytime is right! Cannot wait to see all of these Disney remakes (a Mulan live-action is rumored as well) and am thrilled with the list that goes on and on! :) Keep it coming movie people.
With all the actors now set in stone, I just wanted to add my two cents on how epic I think this film is going to be. I mean, when you have Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson, Hattie Morahan, and the guy who voiced Olaf in Frozen, Mr. Josh Gad himself as Le Fou, all in the same film, what could go wrong?! With all of these inspired casting choices and insanely talented actors, I'm just crossing my fingers at the moment that everything else from the directing to the scripts proves to live up to both these actors, and the story they are telling.
God Bless
Eleanor Rose
Hi, Eleanor! Super glad you did add your two cents!
…okay, I agree. This cast list just got more awesome after I posted this – and it continued on and on and on. Amazing job to whoever was in charge of casting. Well said. With this amazing cast list, I have a difficult time believing they could do anything wrong. Now, we'll just have to await the directing, writing and general "look" of the film. Here's hoping for something amazing. :)