While we’re still waiting for a glimpse of the title characters in Disney’sBeauty and the Beast(played byEmma WatsonandDan StevensunderBill Condon’sdirection), writer-directorChristophe Gans’take on the material gives us an eyeful in a new U.S. trailer. The French film starringLéa SeydouxandVincent Casselin the leads originally debuted back in 2014, but the Shout! FactoryFilms release will open in U.S. theaters on September 23rd.
Gans has only a handful of feature films under his belt, but I’m a fan of his work on bothBrotherhood of the Wolf(2001) andSilent Hill(2006), though he also clearly has his detractors. However, the experience on those horror-slanted films could bring an interesting tint toJeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’sclassic story. I don’t know if the 18th-century tale had stone giants and a surplus of forest magic, but it seems to work in this adaptation. And while the effects look better in still images than they do in motion, this version ofBeauty and the Beastdoes indeed appear to be a fantastical, romantic adventure.
Watch the U.S. trailer for the film below, followed by its synopsis, images, and posters:
Here’s the official synopsis:
- After the wreck of his ships, a financially-ruined merchant (André Dussollier) exiles himself in the countryside with his six children. Among them is Belle (Léa Seydoux), his youngest daughter, a joyful girl full of grace. One day, during an arduous journey, the merchant stumbles across the magical domain of the Beast (Vincent Cassel), who sentences him to death for stealing a rose. Feeling responsible for the terrible fate which has befallen her family, Belle decides to sacrifice herself and take her father’s place. At the Beast’s castle, it is not death that awaits Belle, but a strange life in which fantastical moments mingle with gaiety and melancholy. Every night, at dinner, Belle and the Beast sit down together. They learn about each other, taming one another like two strangers who are total opposites. When she has to repulse his amorous advances, Belle tries to pierce the mysteries of the Beast and his domain. And when night falls, the Beast’s past is revealed to her bit by bit in her dreams. It is a tragic story, which tells her that this solitary and fearsome being was once a majestic prince. Armed with her courage, ignoring every danger, and opening her heart, Belle manages to release the Beast from his curse. And in doing so, she discovers true love.
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Check out some fantastic images from the Shout! FactoryFilms release below:
