A 90-second teaser trailer of “Beauty and the Beast” received a record 92 million views online on the first day itself. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” did not have such a response and the mood at the Walt Disney Studios was, of course, upbeat. The movie “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action remake of one of Disney’s most beloved animated films and Emma Watson headed its cast in the role of Belle.
New York Times reports that the cost of this movie is in the region of $300-million and it is scheduled to release on March 17.
The story of ‘Beauty and the Beast’
The story revolves around a bookish young woman who is an outcast in her small-minded French village. A beast captured her and takes to a castle. The servants there are household objects (a feisty candelabra, a fussy clock) and one of the characters is a white teapot with a human face on its belly. It is actually the housekeeper Mrs. Potts who was transformed into an enchanted kettle.
Then, as in any fairy tale, there is a Prince and, in this story, he is an arrogant prince who is turned into a monster. He must find true love in order to reverse the spell.
In one of the scenes, Belle is seen in a flowing yellow ball gown in the ballroom. The “Be Our Guest” dancing-cutlery sequence will, undoubtedly, be a showstopper.
There are also allusions to long forgotten song-and-dance movies like “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The Sound of Music.”
“Bill Condon directs Beauty and the Beast” and, others in the cast are Dan Sevens (beast), Luke Evans (Gaston) and Josh Gad (LeFou). As to the Beast, it is an entirely digitized character with phosphorescent makeup that makes it appear to be blue under ultraviolet light.
How will the movie fare
Initial reviews of “Beauty and the Beast” are positive, but the sexuality of LeFou could cause a flutter – he is shown as a gay. This could, in turn, lead to unpredictable problems with certain sections of society. However, some people look at the movie as see an opportunity to grab money via theme parks and marketing merchandise like princess gowns.
Any Walt Disney movie is always a memorable experience and a treat to watch - “Beauty and the Beast” is expected to follow the trend.
