'Beauty and the Beast' trivia and fun facts
First time
This is Emma Watson's first role in a Walt Disney Productions movie.
Overcrowded birthday
Emma Watson (Belle), Luke Evans (Gaston), and Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts) share the same birth date of 15th April.
Embarrassed
In order to do his dance acting as Lumière, Ewan McGregor had to wear a motion-capture suit. The suit was so ridiculous that he felt embarrassed whenever he was wearing it, so that he couldn't perform his task properly. The only way possible he could do it was to be completely alone.
Well-prepared
To prepare for the role of Belle, Emma Watson re-watched 'Beauty and the Beast' and began taking singing classes.
Old pals
Kevin Kline and Audra McDonald previously worked together in the film 'Ricki'.
Oh la la!
The movie is set in France, and some of its actors have a lot to do with it: Emma Watson was born in France herself, and Ewan McGregor's wife is French.
Strong opinion
Emma Watson vehemently refused to wear Belle's typical corset as part of her costume.
Reunited
Dan Stevens (Beast) and Hattie Morahan (Agathe) previously starred together playing Edward Ferrars and Elinor Dashwood in 'Sense & Sensibility'.
C'est pas posible!
According to Ewan McGregor, the hardest part about playing Lumiere was getting the character's French accent right, although his wife is in fact, French.
Other options
Jean Dujardin was strongly considered, and was even director's first choice, for the role of Lumière, but it was Ewan McGregor who obtained the role instead.
Breaking stereotypes
Josh Gad's LeFou is Disney's first gay character.
Strong steps
During the ballroom scene take, Emma Watson had a lot of trouble trying not to look at her feet, since Dan Stevens was wearing steel toed shoes and she was afraid that he could step on her.
New touch
New lyrics have been included for the song 'Gaston'. They were previously written for the 1991 version of the movie, but were never included in the final cut. Thus, the song is a bit longer and its theme is slightly more mature.
A Vampire again
Luke Evans, who plays Gaston in the movie, had to wear fake teeth in his scenes since his canines are slightly longer than the usual, and they were trying to avoid a vampire look in him. Surprisingly, Evans had the role of a vampire in the movie 'Dracula Untold'.