Update #4: Beauty and the Beast just nabbed a real vocal powerhouse. Broadway star and Tony Award winner Audra McDonald has been cast as Garderobe (French for “wardrobe”), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Could this be another hint the movie will be a musical?
Update #3: More exciting news for Beauty and the Beast! Disney has announced the film’s release date as March 17, 2017, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The company has also cast two more roles: Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s father, and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, which are again, just wonderful choices.
Update #2: Another day, another brilliant casting. Josh Gad, a.k.a. Frozen’s Olaf, is set to play LeFou, the goofy sidekick to Gaston in Beauty and the Beast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Gad more or less confirmed the news—and his excitement—with this tweet:
Update #1: The Beast has been cast. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Downton Abbey‘s Dan Stevens has been cast. Stevens himself more or less confirmed it with this very telling tweet:
What did our Emma Watson have to say about the casting?
Just in case you were wondering who all the players are and who they are playing…