Disney has been on a roll lately with its live-action adaptations of past animated classics, withCinderella,The Jungle Book, andPete’s Dragonall offering up unique and refreshing takes on their previous incarnations. But the studio faces its biggest test yet whenBeauty and the Beasthits theaters next year: Millennial nostalgia. The studio has been tight-lipped on the live-action musical adaptation thus far, with only a simple teaser trailer with a brief second of actual human footage, but now it appears our first look at the film’s Lumiere and Cogsworth have arrived, and it’s certainly striking.
Ewan McGregorvoices the candelabra Lumiere whileIan McKellenassumes the role of the clock Cogsworth, and fans were certainly curious to see how directorBill Condonwould realize these characters opposite live-action performers. They look like something from aGuillermo del Toromovie, and I’mverycurious to see what they look like in motion. Visual effects have advanced leagues in the past 20 years, but blending live-action performers with CG characters is still some tricky business.
The image first surfaced on Twitter (viaErik Davis) along with another photo that appears to revealLuke Evansperforming “Gaston” alongsideJosh Gadas Le Fou, and now they’ve been officially posted byproducerJack Morrisseyon Facebook. I imagine we’ll be getting a much fuller trailer during the holiday season, but these new peeks behind the scenes (which are apparently from the 25th anniversary Blu-ray edition of the animated film) are mighty curious.
The project as a whole is incredibly promising, with the filmmaker behindDreamgirlsandKinseyshepherding this lavish musical. One thing that’s been clear from Disney’s live-action updates thus far is they’re allowing the directors to put their own signature stamps on the material, so count me in for a fully fledged musical.
Check out the images below. The film also starsEmma Watson,Dan Stevens,Emma Thompson,Gugu Mbatha-Raw,Stanley Tucci, andKevin Kline.Beauty and the Beastopens in theaters on June 14, 2025.
