Disney has been releasing live action remakes of its classic animated movies for years, but it's looking more and more like Beauty and the Beast may be the most popular one yet. The original 1991 tale remains a staple of the Disney Renaissance, and fans young and old are curious to see what this re-telling will be like. The numbers back this up. Back in May, Beauty and the Beast's teaser trailer was viewed over 92 million times over the first day, and now the preview released on Monday performed even more admirably, collecting more views in its first 24 hours than any other trailer in history.
According to EW, the new Beauty and the Beast trailer scored 127.6 million views in 24 hours across multiple platforms around the globe (though not including China). 27 million of those views came from the trailer posted on lead star Emma Watson's Facebook page, and it helped Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad and director Bill Condon conducted a Facebook Live Q&a to raise awareness for the release of the trailer. Because of this accomplishment, Beauty and the Beast has knocked Star Wars: The Force Awakens to the #2 spot. That blockbuster's trailer gathered 114 million views in its first 24 hours.
The fact that Beauty and the Beast knocked Star Wars: The Force Awakens from its top spot just goes to show how powerful '90s nostalgia can be. Over 20 years after its released, the animated Beauty and the Beast movie remains one of Disney's most popular movies. Remakes like Cinderella and The Jungle Book may have piqued interest among both hardcore House of Mouse fans and casual moviegoers, but Beauty and the Beast rests in a much-higher popularity tier. The number of views on this trailer prove that it's one of the most highly anticipated blockbusters of 2017.
It certainly helped that the new Beauty and the Beast preview had more to offer than the last look at the movie. While the teaser only provided a look at the story's castle setting, a hazy glimpse of Emma Watson as Belle and dialogue from Ewan McGregor's Lumiere and Ian McKellen's Cogsworth, the new trailer a better idea of what the remake will look like. Belle fully seen in her costumes, the movie's eponymous Beast, the castle's anthropomorphic denizens, a few quick shots of some musical numbers, etc. Frankly, I'd be okay if this was the last trailer put out before the movie was released, but I suspect we'll receive another one in January or early February.
In case you missed the new Beauty and the Beast trailer or simply want to re-experience it to increase the viewership numbers, check it out below.
Beauty and the Beast will work its magic in theaters on March 17, 2017.
