As you already know, fairy tale films are the new hot thing. We've already had "Red Riding Hood" test the waters, and this year we'll see "Mirror Mirror" and "Snow White and the Huntsman," followed by "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" and "Jack The Giant Killer" in 2013. While those are all interesting for various reasons, this latest announcement has shot a new fairy tale movie right to the top of our list.
Vincent Cassel ("Black Swan," "Mesrine") and Lea Seydoux ("Midnight In Paris," "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol") will be starring in "Beauty and the Beast." The tale has been brought to the big screen more than once, most notably in Jean Cocteau's gorgeous "La Belle et la bête" and of course, to blockbuster acclaim in Disney's recently re-released in 3D animated version. But the ingredient which promises to shake things up is director Christophe Gans. The "Silent Hill" and "Brotherhood of the Wolf" helmer will be behind the camera and while details are scarce — will it be contemporary? a period setting? — he's promising something ambitious.
“With this picture, I want to unleash my imagination. Although I will keep to a form of storytelling of this timeless fairy tale that is in keeping with the same pace and characters as the original, I will surprise the audience by creating a completely new visual universe never experienced before and produce images of an unparalleled quality. Every single one of my movies has presented me with a challenge but this one is, by far, the most exciting and rewarding,” he said.
Eskwad and Pathé are producing the picture, which also marks a re-team between Cassel and Gans who previously worked togther on 'Brotherhood,' a quasi-werewolf movie (of sorts). It's a promising project to be sure, and the production is gearing up with an October shoot scheduled.