Changes in Bella’s backstory in live action ‘Beauty and Beast’
Be our guest for an exclusive first look at @Disney’s magical and romantic live-action #BeautyAndTheBeast! https://t.co/jniafxmEpV 🌹 pic.twitter.com/xaIGIdc8EA
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 2, 2016
Disney’s classic animated flick “Beauty and the Beast” will finally have live-action adaptation with Harry Potter’s Emma Watson taking the role of Belle.
WATCH: Emma Watson as ‘Belle’ in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ official trailer
While facets of the original story remain intact, the modern-day revamp will display a different approach when it comes to the lead’s backstory.
The 1991 film dwelt around Bella’s frustrations with her life in her ”quiet village” where “every day is like the one before,” while living with her inventor father Maurice.
The studio’s forthcoming live-action version will retain Bella’s passion for books, but she’ll be the one coming up with creative inventions this time around.
“In the animated movie, it’s her father who is the inventor, and we actually co-opted that for Belle,” Watson revealed the twist in an Entertainment Weekly report, adding that her character will also inherit a passion for collecting music boxes from around the world.
“I was like, ‘Well, there was never very much information or detail at the beginning of the story as to why Belle didn’t fit in, other than she liked books,” the 26-year-old British actress said.
Bill Condon’s lavish remake will also feature Belle’s washing machine-like invention, which she made to lessen her work load and have more time to read and daydream.
Watson also personally suggested modifications to Bella’s iconic yellow dress, which she wore during her romantic evening with the Beast.
According to costume designer Jacqueline Durran, Watson’s Belle is an “active princess,” and her yellow gown had to have a lot of movement.
“[Watson] did not want a dress that was corseted or that would impede her in any way,” Durran said. “As for her everyday shoes, she also ditched the ballet flats for something more practical, sturdy ankle boots.”
“If you’re going to ride a horse and tend your garden and fix machinery, then you need to be in proper boots,” Watson quipped.
Aside from the recent changes, each song from the original will reportedly be featured in the upcoming film including a ballad performed by Dan Stevens’s Beast called “For Evermore” and a another slow-tempo track called “Days in the Sun.”
“It’s a combination of a lullaby and a remembrance of happier days for everybody,” original composer Alan Menken described the two new additions in the report.
The film, which also stars Dan Stevens Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, is set for release on March 17, 2017. Khristian Ibarrola
