As Disney continues to announce more live-action remakes of their classic animated films, casting continues on the upcoming Beauty and the Beast adaptation from director Bill Condon. The latest addition comes in the form of Sir Ian McKellen, who has just landed the role of Cogsworth.
The news comes from Variety, whose sources confirm that McKellen is attached to the role. He joins an impressive cast that includes Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as The Beast, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Luke Evans as the villainous Gaston and Josh Gad as his sidekick, LeFou.
In the original animated film, Cogsworth was the Beast’s butler, who had been turned into a clock after a curse was placed on the castle. No word yet on how the character will be realized in the new film, although it’s likely that McKellen will be providing the voice for a CG-animated creation.
The 1991 release of Beauty and the Beast grossed over $375 million worldwide, inspiring a Broadway production that continues to tour annually, and is widely regarded as one of the best animated offerings in the studio’s history. Disney is hoping that a live-action update will continue the recent success of other reimaginings, such as Maleficent and Cinderella.
Beauty and the Beast is scheduled to begin shooting later this year, with a scheduled release date of March 17, 2017.
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