Disney has been relatively stingy with what they have released from the live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. Besides the teaser trailer and a few behind the scenes photos, fans seen very little of the film...until now.
The upcoming 25th anniversary Blu-ray/ Digital HD release of the animated classic is not available until next month, but some lucky fans had early access to the new special features, including a sneak peek of the live-action film, through iTunes. According to a thread on Blu-ray.com, the featurette runs 1:23 and showcases "mostly a table read with the cast, B-roll of the sets and a few costume sketches with Bill Condon narrating."
Photos have also surfaced from the sneak peek, including our first look at Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as Le Fou in the Tavern. There are also images of Dan Stevens as the Prince, Luke Evans and company rehearsing "Gaston," as well as costume sketches, concept art of the enchanted objects, and more.
The 25th anniversary edition of Beauty and the Beast will be available September 6th on Digital HD & Disney Movies Anywhere and September 20th on Blu-ray. Find out more about the upcoming release here.
B-roll footage of Luke Evans (Gaston) and Josh Gad (Le Fou) filming "Gaston."
Concept art of Lumiere (Ewan McGregor) and Cogsworth (Ian McKellen)
Dan Stevens as the Prince (Beast)
Concept art of Belle (Emma Watson)
Concept art of Gaston (Luke Evans)
Concept art of Mrs. Potts (Emma Thompson)
Luke Evans (Gaston) and company during the London table read.
Concept art of the enchanted objects (Mrs. Potts, Chip, Garderobe, Cadenza) in the background.
From left to right: Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), Hattie Morahan (Agathe), Kevin Kline (Maurice), and Dan Stevens (Beast).
Trivia Tuesday- ""Flowers, chocolates, promises you don't intend to keep."
David Ogden Stiers, the voice of Cogsworth, improvised while recording some of his lines for the animated classic. Stiers spoke about his improvisations during last week's 25th anniversary screening and even treated fans to a live performance of one of Cogsworth's famous lines.
Watch more videos from the 25th anniversary screening here.
Watchful Wednesday- The Little Mermaid (Howard Ashman & Alan Menken)
I don't know when, I don't know how
But I know something's starting right now
Released in November 1989, The Little Mermaid is the first film in the era that would later become known as the Disney Renaissance. The film, which is based on the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, won two Oscars for Best Song ("Under the Sea") and Best Original Score, in addition to two Golden Globes and two Grammy awards. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin, Hercules, The Princess and the Frog), The Little Mermaid features the voice talents of Jodi Benson (Ariel), Samuel E. Wright (Sebastian), and Pat Carroll (Ursula).
The Little Mermaid's success also greatly influenced the production of Beauty and the Beast, which was not originally planned as a musical. Producer Don Hahn recently spoke about the change in direction at a screening of Beauty and the Beast.
"There was a little film that came out before us called 'The Little Mermaid,'" revealed producer Don Hahn. That flick's success brought "Mermaid" songwriters Howard Ashman and Alan Menken onto the project ... and the original version was totally scrapped.
Hahn says the tunes took what he called a "European story" and turned it into "something uniquely musical."
In a new interview with Collider, Ian McKellen discusses his role as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast, including one of the film's final scenes.
**Spoilers below!**
Speaking of Bill and also fantasy, you are working with him again in Beauty And The Beast, I wanted to ask, are you doing motion capture for that? Because you’re playing a clock…
McKELLEN: Unfortunately not, no. They’re using a variety of techniques, but the Cogsworth Clock, that has all been choreographed without me. I’ve added my voice to the picture, and the other way around, and then there is a big scene at the end where everybody comes back to life, and the prince is restored and I go back to being the majordomo and my wife appears and we dance together. So that was my big contribution to the film: being in the big dance scene. So, no. I wanted to be the clock, but I couldn’t. But my voice will be heard! And my face will eventually be seen!
It looks like the live-action feature will end in a similar fashion to the animated film, but I am very curious about McKellen's mention of Cogsworth's wife. Who could it be?
Ian McKellen also spoke with SFGate about his experience on set and working with Bill Condon for the first time since 1998's Gods and Monsters.
“We’re friends and we had a success a long time ago with ‘Gods and Monsters’ and we’ve stayed friends since then,” he says of Condon. “We’d always hoped to do another film together, and this one fit the bill. Everyone’s different, but I particularly like the mood on his sets. I just did three or four days on his Disney film of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and it was the same way. There were 150 people on that set the day I was there, but it was very relaxed, and that all comes from the director.”
McKellen appeared on Live! with Kelly and Michael earlier this week to promote Mr. Holmes and also discussed his time on the set of Beauty and the Beast, mentioning fellow cast members Audra McDonald, Stanley Tucci, and Emma Watson (at the 23:54 mark).
UPDATE: The Live! video is no longer available.
With Mr. Holmes making its limited US debut this Friday, Ian McKellen is once again making his rounds with press to discuss the film stateside. In addition to talk about the latest Sherlock Holmes film, McKellen also spoke with USA Today about his role in Beauty and the Beast as Cogsworth.
Time's a ticking for Sir Ian McKellen.
Quite literally, as a matter of fact, given that he plays Cogsworth, a clock, in Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast retelling, slated for a 2017 release.
"Why the hell am I doing it? It just tickled my fancy," McKellen says. "To be in a Disney musical at 76, it's good, isn't it? It means you're still functioning."
Ian McKellen, who has been busy promoting his new film Mr. Holmes, which is also directed by Bill Condon, once again discussed his upcoming role as Cogsworth in a pair of new interviews. Speaking with the Irish Examiner, McKellen described the butler turned clock as a "fantastic character" and spoke about the film's approach to the enchanted objects and Dan Steven's Beast.
“The cheek of it made me want to do it,” he says. “They had written this fantastic character. He is a butler that gets turned into a clock. It is based on the Disney animation, although here animation is used for the characters that the prince sees when he is under the spell.”
The prince-cum-beast, played by Dan Stevens, won’t be animated. “He will be a monster, a beast. Basically, I just have had to supply a voice and the animators will do the rest. Then, at the end of the film, the characters all turn back into their real selves and then I sing and dance in a Disney movie.”
The second interview is a segment of the June 12th episode of The Empire Film Podcast. McKellen briefly discusses Beauty and the Beast at a few points, beginning at the 51:03 mark (then again at 53:33, 56:12, and finally at 57:35).
Ian McKellen recently appeared at the Regent Street Apple Store in London to take part in the "Meet the Actor" series and discuss his role in Mr. Holmes. While the event mostly focused on the upcoming Sherlock Holmes film, McKellen also discussed reuniting with director Bill Condon, Lord of the Rings, Shakespeare, and Beauty and the Beast.
The discussion about Beauty and the Beast begins around the 13:00 mark and the actor even breaks out into song with "Be Our Guest" and "Beauty and the Beast." In addition to McKellen serenading the audience, he also talks about singing with Ewan McGregor (Lumiere) and Emma Thompson, who, according to McKellen, plays a teapot "very convincingly" and has "a beautiful voice." He also briefly mentions Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and Audra McDonald before the conversation turns back to Mr. Holmes.
Click here to listen to the podcast of the event.
With Mr. Holmes coming to theaters this summer, star Ian McKellen has begun promotion for the film and naturally his next collaboration with the director made it into the conversation. In a recent interview with BBC Radio 2, McKellen briefly discussed his role as Cogsworth in Beauty and the Beast.
"I play a clock. And my name is Cogsworth. And I get to sing. I'm sorry
I'm not allowed to tell you what I sing. It's terribly exciting!"
Beauty and the Beast marks McKellen's third collaboration with director Bill Condon. The pair previously worked together on Gods and Monsters and Mr. Holmes. Disney's Beauty and the Beast, which is currently filming in London, is set for release on March 17, 2017.
The cast of Beauty and the Beast continues to impress with the news of two-time Academy Award nominee Ian McKellen set to play Cogsworth. McKellen, known for his work in the Lord of the Rings and X-Men series, previously worked with Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon on Gods and Monsters (for which the actor received his first Oscar nomination and Condon won 'Best Adapted Screenplay') and the upcoming Mr. Holmes (July 17, 2015).
Beauty and the Beast also stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Audra McDonald, and Emma Thompson. The film, which begins shooting next month in London, is set for release on March 17, 2017.
