Beauty and the Beast

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I recently saw the live-action remake “Beauty and the Beast” of its 1991 animated musical. It is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, and co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films. Along with astonishing design and beautiful songs, the film also has a star-studded cast including Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellen, Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, and Kevin Kline. Still, it’s getting mixed reviews from critics, some loving the modern twist and others see it as an unnecessary rehash of a classic. My friends and family were impressed by the movie, so I was sure I would enjoy it.

The director of this movie, William "Bill" Condon (born in October 22, 1955 in New York City, New York, USA) is an American screenwriter and director. He has also written and directed the critically acclaimed films Gods and Monsters (1998), Kinsey (2004), and Dreamgirls (2006), wrote the screenplay for Chicago (2002), and directed the final two episodes of the Twilight series (2011-2012). Condon won an Academy Award as screenwriter for Gods and Monsters; he was also nominated for his screenplay for Chicago. Condon is openly gay. He is in a long-term relationship with Jack Morrissey.

Emma Watson (Belle), born in April 15, 2017 in Paris, France, is a British actress, model, and activist. She earned worldwide fame and critical awards with her first professional acting role as Hermione Granger in all eight Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011, having acted only in school plays previously. From 2011 to 2014, Watson split her time between working on film projects and continuing her education, studying at Brown University and Worcester College, Oxford and graduating from Brown with a bachelor's degree in English literature in May 2014.Her modelling work has included campaigns for Burberry and Lancôme. As a fashion mentor, she helped create a line of clothing for People Tree. She was honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2014, winning for British Artist of the Year. That same year, she was appointed as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which calls for men to advocate gender equality.

Dan Stevens (Beast/Prince Adam), born in October 10, 1982, in Croydon, London, is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV acclaimed period drama series Downton Abbey. He also starred as David in the thriller film The Guest and Sir Lancelot in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb. He currently stars as David Haller in the FX series Legion. Stevens has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Downtown Abbey, and BloodGuts UK Horror Awards for Best Actor in The Guest. In 2009, Stevens married South African jazz singer and singing teacher Susie Hariet. They have a daughter named Willow (born 2009), a son named Aubrey (born 2012), and a third child named Eden (born 2016).

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