The longest trailer yet for "Beauty and the Beast" is now streaming online, offering a two-and-a-half-minute sneak preview of Disney's live-action remake of the 1991 animated classic.
The film stars Emma Watson as Belle, a village girl who is held prisoner in the castle of a hideous Beast (Dan Stevens) in the hopes that she will fall in love with him. The film is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated releases of the spring, with a YouTube trailer that has been viewed more than 1 million times as of this writing.
Although the new trailer mostly expands on the previous teasers, the big news here is the appearance of Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome villager whose arrogance and egotism fail to charm the intelligent Belle. "You are the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen! Nobody deserves you," he coos, although it turns out he's speaking to a mirror. As the story's villain _ and an important part of the plot _ Evans will be a crucial component in this movie. We also a get a brief glimpse of Josh Gad as Gaston's sidekick, Le Fou.
The trailer also shows longer interactions between Belle and the castle's talking inhabitants, including the candlestick Lumiere (the voice of Ewan McGregor), the little teacup Chip (Nathan Mack) and, of course, the teapot (and fairy godmother figure) Mrs. Potts, whose voice comes courtesy of Emma Thompson. As for the famous ballroom dance between Beauty and the Beast _ one of the most striking scenes in the animated original _ this new trailer suggests that director Bill Condon is going for maximum dazzle, with what looks like hundreds of candles and possibly as many dancers.
"Beauty and the Beast" is due in theaters March 17.
