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The film’s starry cast already includes Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and Emma Thompson.
Hollywood favorite and recent Broadway star Ewan McGregor (The Real Thing) is the latest star who may be joining the cast of live-action film version of Beauty and the Beast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actor is in final negotiations to play candlestick-brought-to-life Lumiere.
McGregor would 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, Tony nominee Josh Gad (The Book of Mormon) as LeFou, Emma Thompson (Saving Mrs. Banks) as Mrs. Potts, Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda) as Maurice, Audra McDonald (Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill) as Garderobe, and Sir Ian McKellen (Waiting for Godot) as Cogsworth.
Directed by Bill Condon, 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.