After a steady stream of casting updates, we have just been served our first big piece of news concerning one of Disney’s live-action remakes.

According to an exclusive press release, Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast will hit theaters on March 17, 2017!

The film will also begin production this coming May at Shepperton Studios in London (a shooting location used extensively by Marvel Studios for many of their films).

As reported before, the cast will consist of Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast/Prince, Luke Evans as Gaston, and Josh Gad as LeFou. Emma Thompson has also been officially confirmed to have joined as Mrs. Potts, and Kevin Kline will round out the cast as Belle’s father, Maurice.

Alan Menken, who scored the original 1991 animated classic, will score the soundtrack for this film. The soundtrack in question will feature new recordings of the original songs in addition to new songs written by Menken and Tim Rice. As noted many times before, the film will have a musical component.

The film will be directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, Breaking Dawn Part 1 & 2, The Fifth Estate) from a screenplay by author and filmmaker Stephan Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower). David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce through their Mandeville Films banner.

What do you think? Any thoughts about this news? Are you looking forward to the film?

Edited by: Kelly Conley