A fairy tale which has neither boundaries of time nor distance; a love story that resonates in everyone’s mind and soul reverberating the essence of a heart touching drama Beauty and the Beast is a story par excellence.
After Disney’s 1991 animated musical version of the Beauty and the Beast, now it is time for a complete live action feature of the same. Walt Disney Studios is coming up with a 3D live action musical revamp of Beauty and the Beast which is set for 17 March, 2017 release.
Enter the castle of the beast is what Disney aims to do with its recent teaser as it features a dark castle on a frosty night. The glimpse of the lavish yet sinister castle of the beast attracts you as well as sends a subtle thrill down the spine as if it is a deserted lonely place.
‘Secrecy and suspense’ has been maintained throughout as revelations are miniscule but increase the curiosity of the viewers. Whispers about the Beauty ‘Belle’ played by Emma Watson run in the background as a glimpse of Watson is shown as she lands at the castle.
The most important factor of the entire tale- The Mysterious Rose is focussed on thoroughly as the entire story revolves around it. In fact, the teaser ends with no glimpse of the beast played by Dan Stevens but just a rose petal falling calmly with an invitation claiming ‘Be Our Guest’.
The visual effects created by Digital Domain, Framestore and Method Studios portray a neat work of creation of the castle at least till now. The sequence of light entering the room and the radiating candle light proclaim a feeling of the enriching fairy tale. However, the beast is the central character that everybody is eyeing for. Whether he will be created using animation or VFX, prosthetics or just live costume design is a mystery that will unfold as the tale progresses.
‘Music is what feelings sound like’ and this teaser takes the stride with its soothing background score that transcends the viewers into a distinct broadway universe. The teaser ends on a simple subtle tone creating an aura of feel good factor apart from just the excitement and curiosity.
Directed by Bill Condon and written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Stephen Chbosky, the film stars a cast including Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson along with the above two lead characters.
Beauty and the Beast is a tale that is known by everyone and anyone. It has an instant resonance and deep connection with audience across the globe. The challenge for Disney lies in retelling this story in an effective way which may please the audience as well as live upto the standards of the romantic fairy tale. And as it is live action, the challenges increase and freedom reduces as compared to the medium of animation.