‘Beauty and the Beast’ live action to open March 17th

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Marisa Barranco, Staff Writer

After 26 years, an animated classic is finally coming to life on the big screen. A favorite for many, “Beauty and the Beast” has been remade as a live-action movie and is coming out March 17th. The film hosts a plethora of talented actors such as Emma Watson, Ian McKellen, and Dan Stevens, along with many others.

 

Since the live-action remake of “Cinderella” in 2015, Disney fans have been clamoring for another and most likely won’t be disappointed. The trailer for the movie is incredibly similar to its animated counterpart, and the CGI doesn’t look overly cheesy, to name a few things that moviegoers will appreciate.

 

While many were excited upon first hearing the upcoming release of the movie, some were skeptical of Emma Watson playing the infamous Belle. However, Paige O’Hara, who voiced Belle in the 1991 version said, in an interview with Vanity Fair, that she was confident in Watson’s abilities and believes she has a lot of the same qualities as Belle. Unsurprisingly, as more longer and in depth trailers came out for the movie many could see Watson’s talent.

 

Looking beyond common criticisms and concerns for the movie, one might ask:  What’s the point in making another princess movie, especially one with the same exact story? Well, that is the point. “Beauty and the Beast” is a timeless story of love, and it begs to be retold. But this time  it opens up a window of wonder to those who were first enchanted by it as children to see these beloved characters come to life once again.

 

Not only that, but Belle is a great role model for young girls seeing the film for the first time. Emma Watson sums Belle up perfectly in a trailer launch interview for Flicks and the City. “I have loved Beauty and the Beast since I was about 4 years old… I just fell in love with Belle. She was this feisty, young woman who spoke her mind and had all these ambitions and was incredibly independent and was so smart…”

 

So, perhaps this March you’ll be humming “Be Our Guest” with a little pep in your step after experiencing a tale as old as time.