This tale as old as time never gets old. The first official trailer for Disney’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast finally landed on Monday, November 14 — and the 2-minute clip is mesmerizing.
The breathtaking preview, which debuted on Good Morning America, opens with a wide-pan look at Beast’s cold, cavernous and dilapidated castle. It’s a bleak world for Belle, whose father has disappeared and remains hostage within the estate’s dark corridors.
Belle (Harry Potter’s beloved Emma Watson) somehow finds her way to the castle, where she finds her father behind bars. “Belle, you must leave here,” her petrified parent pleads from his imprisonment. “This castle is alive!”
And indeed, the castle is alive. Beast (played by Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens) suddenly makes an appearance and presents Belle with an offer. “Do you wish to take your father’s place?” he asks. The selfless leading lady, of course, obliges.
The beloved objects inside Prince Adam’s estate — Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson), Chip (Nathan Mack), Cogsworth (Sir Ian McKellen), and Lumiere (Ewan McGregor) — also make brief appearances in the trailer. While Belle befriends the living household objects, her dejected suitor Gaston (Luke Evans) conspires with the other locals to destroy Beast.
In an exclusive interview with People on Monday, the film’s director Bill Condon shared that viewers will hear songs from the original animated classic from 1991, in addition to some new tunes. Condon also praised Watson for her commitment to the character of Belle. “She’s such a hard worker,” Condon told the magazine. “What I love about her voice is that it’s a complete extension of the voice we all know. It’s very clear, very pure. I think it’s going to delight people.”
Photo credit: Disney
The cast also joined Facebook Live for a Q&A on Monday morning shortly after the trailer’s release. Both Watson and Stevens said they worked tirelessly on learning the sweeping dance routines featured in the film.
“The hardest thing was not looking down on my feet,” Watson joked. “That was the most recurrent no. ’Emma, stop looking at your feet!’”
The live action film will premiere on March 17, 2017. Watch the trailer above!
