Twice Upon A Time
Empire|April 2017

Making a tale as old as time feel fresh is no easy task. how disney's live-action beauty and the beast re-animated a much-loved classic.

Ian Freer
Twice Upon A Time

Welcome to your childhood,” says Josh Gad, greeting Empire on the beautifully realised village set of Beauty And The Beast at Shepperton Studios. Following on from Maleficent, Cinderella and The Jungle Book, this is Disney’s latest flesh-and-blood reimagining of a legendary title from its animated back catalogue. The watchword here is realism, both aesthetically and psychologically. Set in 18th century France, rather than an airy-fairy once upon a time, the period has informed all the artistic choices. “We wanted to give it as much depth and detail as possible,” says Emma Watson, who plays Belle. “It’s our job to fill in the gaps, to give it more layers and detail than you could ever get in an animation.”

This project is a challenge, even by Disney-reboot standards. In 1991, Beauty And The Beast was nominated for Best Picture — the first animated feature to get the big nod — and created instant icons out of Belle, Beast, Gaston and a singing teapot. Here, the cast and director Bill Condon explain how they turned classic moments into live action.

BELLE’S SONG

As with the animated version, our introduction to Belle sees her dreamily walk through the village (named Villeneuve after Gabrielle Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, writer of the original 1740 story), lamenting humdrum small-town life via song. The sequence not only sets the tone — “You help the audience relax into the fact that you are going to express things musically,” says Condon — but sets up the key elements of the story. The ultimate Disney ‘I want’ number, it clearly lays out the character’s hopes and dreams.

Denne historien er fra April 2017-utgaven av Empire.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra April 2017-utgaven av Empire.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA EMPIRESe alt
Jungle Boogie
Empire

Jungle Boogie

They Could Have Shot Their Monster Movie in a Green Screen Chamber. Instead,the Makers of Kong:skull Island Journeyed Into Some of Earth’s Most Far-flung Corners. And Empire Tagged Along, Every Glorious, Snake-infested Step of the Way.

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 2017
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Empire

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

The Franchise’s First Stand-alone Instalment, Sends a Squad on an Impossible Mission, and Is Star Wars’ Biggest Change-up Yet.

time-read
10+ mins  |
January 2017
To The Max
Empire

To The Max

The Future of Hollywood? Or a Brat Who’s Lucked Out? Prolific, Hyperactive Wunderkind Screenwriter Max Landis Welcomes Us Into His World.

time-read
10 mins  |
January 2017
Adapt Or Die
Empire

Adapt Or Die

Michael Fassbender and Justin Kurzel, the Duo Behind Assassin's Creed, Think They've Finally Found the Secret to a Great Video-game Adaptation: Treat It Like Shakespeare.

time-read
9 mins  |
January 2017
Choosing Life
Empire

Choosing Life

The years drifted by. The players drifted apart. But despite all the odds, Renton, Spud, Sick Boy and Begbie are finally back in T2 Trainspotting, a sequel with a surprising link to The Likely Lads.

time-read
10+ mins  |
February 2017
The Seven Year Switch
Empire

The Seven Year Switch

After a long break, comic actor Adam Sandler gets serious again in The Meyerowitz Stories 

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2017
The Rite Stuff
Empire

The Rite Stuff

The makers of The Ritual’s five steps to creating a British Blair Witch Project

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2017
Alpha Female
Empire

Alpha Female

Her race to the big screen has lasted an astonishing 75 years. But the indomitable WONDER WOMAN's journey is almost at an end.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2017
The Vault
Empire

The Vault

The Vault

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2017
The Jedi Returns
Empire

The Jedi Returns

Once the Golden Boy of the Rebellion, Luke Skywalker Is Now a Hermit on a Far-far-away Planet. Can Plucky Padawan Rey Persuade Him to Return to the Fray? Director Rian Johnson and Star Mark Hamill Set the Scene for Star Wars: The Last Jedi 

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2017