Film News

Emma Thompson and Kevin Kline Join Disney's Beauty and the Beast Remake; Release Date Set

The pair will be seen alongside Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and Luke Evans in the new film.

Emma Thompson will play Mrs. Potts in the new film remake of Beauty and the Beast.
Emma Thompson will play Mrs. Potts in the new film remake of Beauty and the Beast.
(© Left: Disney; right: David Gordon)

Academy Award winners Emma Thompson and Kevin Kline are the latest actors to join the cast of Disney's new live-action film remake of Beauty and the Beast. Directed by Bill Condon, the film will hit screens March 17, 2017, and be presented in 3-D.

Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks) will play talking teapot Mrs. Potts, and Kline (A Fish Called Wanda) will take on the role of Maurice, Belle's father. They join the previously announced Emma Watson (the Harry Potter series) as Belle, Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as the Beast, Luke Evans (The Hobbit) as Gaston, and Tony nominee Josh Gad (The Book of Mormon) as LeFou.

With a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky, the film will feature new recordings of now-classic songs like "Be Our Guest" and the Oscar-winning title number by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, as well as new songs penned by Menken and Tim Rice.

The Oscar-nominated 1991 animated feature version of Beauty and the Beast grossed more than $375 million worldwide and inspired the long-running Tony-nominated musical, which ran on Broadway for over 13 years.