It’s a tale as old as time, and it’s about to get another take. With proven success when it comes to last week’s Oz the Great and Powerful, Walt Disney Pictures is continuing their revisionist fairy tale spree, with a new take on Sleeping Beauty coming next year with Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent. Now they’ve already lined up their next potential project with the same conceit.
According to Deadline, the studio has begun negotiations with Joe Ahearne to provide a new spin on the classic story of Beauty And The Beast. Titled simply The Beast, this new film will be a live-action, and likely 3D, one that is hinted to be a “dark” take — because, what else is there in Hollywood nowadays?
As for Ahearne, he not only scripted the original TV movie Trance, but also Danny Boyle‘s upcoming adaptation of the art heist drama. The 1991 Disney animation brought in over $400 million, so Disney clearly sees a potential audience. Having grown up with the film, its certainly a beloved tale, but I also adore Jean Cocteau’s version, so hopefully it’s not wishful thinking this new version could take some of the best elements. Check out an excerpt from the 1991 version and a trailer for Cocteau’s take.
What would you want to see in a new Beauty and the Beast film?