Walt Disney Studios has officially announced the live-action Beauty and the Beast film.
The film will star Emma Watson (Harry Potter franchise) as Belle, Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as Beast/The Prince, Luke Evans (The Hobbit) as Gaston, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, and Kevin Kline as Maurice.
This new live-action film will be a 3-D retelling of the classic Disney animated film and will also include some CG magic.
Academy Award winner Alan Menken will score the film. Menken won two Oscars in 1991 for his work on the animated film. The film will also include new recordings of the original songs plus several new songs written by Menken and Sir Tim Rice.
The live-action Beauty and the Beast will be directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls).
The film is scheduled to start production in May in London and is slated for a theatrical release on March 17, 2017.
