Guesses for the star of Beauty and The Beast
Fresh on the heels of Maleficent, Disney has announced its going to remake the animated 1991 version of Beauty and The Beast in live action form. Who will take the title role? We can’t wait to find out! Meanwhile, our powers of deduction have come up with this…
What the rumours are saying
Our internet searches keep turning up the names Emma Watson, Emmy Rossum and Kristen Stewart. Two out of three could be right. Both Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros are planning a live action adaptation of Beauty and The Beast with the director of the former, Bill Condon, favouring Kristen Stewart and the director of the latter, Guillermo Del Toro, keen on Emma Watson. Two x Belle = Bellisima!
Process of elimination
Going by these recent and rumoured Disney casting choices, the following leading ladies are probably not in contention:
– Idina Menzel = Elsa, the Snow Queen of Arendelle in Frozen
– Kristin Bell = Anna, Elsa’s Frozen sister
– Lily James = Cinderella, the neglected step-daughter
– Cate Blanchett = Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother
– Elle Fanning = Aurora, the King’s daughter in Maleficent
– Angelina Jolie = Maleficent, the hero/villain Queen of The Fairies
– Scarlett Johannason = Kaa, the hypnotizing python in The Jungle Book
Still from Disney’s animated Beauty and the Beast
Virtues of a beast lover
Someone that can willingly go to live with a creature of grotesque appearance and gruff manner, befriend him, then drop her family at the drop of a hat to rescue him must be made of pretty strong stuff. On the other hand, this is a girl that laps up the finery lavished on her but refuses to commit, dreams of a better-looking bloke and breaks her promises. Hmm. We like the idea of this imperfect girl who has a sense of adventure but sometimes falls short of being selfless. We reckon Anne Hathaway or Natalie Portman could fit the bill.
Who can wear yellow
Don’t get us wrong, we’re not hung up on looks, but the precedent has been set that a Disney heroine is typically easy on the eye. And so to this vivid hue. Belle is known for her yellow gown but it’s not an easy colour to wear. True, sunny-side up is a popular theme this season, but it’s not for everyone. So who might wear it well? We think Jennifer Lawrence or Rose Byrne could pull off canary, lemon, mustard or sunflower with aplomb.
Possessing special qualities
We’re not saying a live action version of Beauty and The Beast will feature musical numbers but if the main character does happen to break out into song, the all singing, all dancing Selena Gomez could be a hot tip. For a more authentic take on the original 1740 writing of La Belle et la Bete by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, we would love to see Audrey Tatou rock the tradition.
Our Pick
We’re just going to put it out there and say that for no other reason other than she looks the part, we think the next Belle will be Lily Collins. However, since she recently played Snow White in Mirror Mirror, we don’t mind placing a small bet on Emilia Clarke from Game of Thrones too. Or maybe Emily Blunt?
While we clearly have no idea, we don’t need a crystal ball to divine that we’ll be receiving requests for a Belle-inspired dress soon enough. Unless you have a fairy godmother, start with these Etsy finds and you will be well prepared:
Mille Feuille
Little Dreams By Mayra
American Blossoms
Heartmade Creations
Main images courtesy of Mille Feuille, Little Dreams By Mayra and Heartmade Creations