'Beauty and the Beast' premieres in China
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 28, 2017
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Director Bill Condon, actress Emma Watson, actors Dan Stevens, Luke Evans and Josh Gad appear at the grand premiere of "Beauty and the Beast" held in Shanghai, China, Feb. 27, 2017. [Photo / China.org.cn] |
The cast of "Beauty and the Beast" is quite impressive. Aside from good-looking main characters, Oscar winner Kevin Kline is in the film as Maurice, Belle's eccentric but lovable father; Golden Globe nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
"Beauty and the Beast" also invited back the Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the animated film. He will provide the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as several new songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice.
At the same time, pop diva Celine Dion is returning to sing a new song for the film entitled "How Does A Moment Last Forever," more than 25 years after singing the title track, which will have a new cover version sung by Ariana Grande and John Legend this time.
Early tracking has shown that the film will gross around US$100 million in its opening weekend in North America, with some publications predicting it could reach as high as US$120 million.
Disney clearly also wanted to repeat the success of "The Jungle Book" in the world's second largest film market, but how far it will go by exciting the nostalgic and romantic consumers during the White Valentine Day will remain to be seen.
It could break the box office record for a musical in the Chinese market - the record that was just set by Academy Award-winning "La La Land" days ago. But there was another "Beauty and the Beast" adaptation directed by Christophe Gans and starring Léa Seydoux as Belle and Vincent Cassel, which was screened in China in 2014 but made a mere 16.42 million yuan at the box office.
On Monday night, a total of 1,200 seats were packed at the theater in the Disney resort as the Chinese audience saw the first screening of the film in China and many were left in awe of the film's quality.
"Beauty and the Beast" will open in U.S. and Chinese theaters on March 17, 2017.
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