Disney’s live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast is drawing strong box-office figures in pre-sale, according to MarketWatch. The anticipated remake of the 1991 animated feature, which hits theatres March 17, has already sold out hundreds of screenings across the U.S.
Tickets went on sale January 30, and according to Fandango, the film has surpassed the previous record holder, Finding Dory. “Its pre-sales rival those of a superhero movie,” Fandango managing editor Erik Davis said in a statement.
Featuring a score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the film stars Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s father; Josh Gad as Le Fou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Ewan McGregor as Lumière, the candelabra; Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; Audra McDonald as Madame De Garderobe, the wardrobe; Hattie Morahan as the enchantress; and Nathan Mack as Chip, the teacup; with Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
Directed by Bill Condon, Beauty and the Beast is written by Evan Spiliotopoulos, Stephen Chbosky, and Condon.
