Disney has been on a roll lately with the live action remakes of their classic animated movies. Cinderella was both critically and commercially successful in 2015, and The Jungle Book and Pete's Dragon were both well-received this year, with the former bringing in over $950 million worldwide. It looks like the House of Mouse may have another winner on their hands next year with Beauty and the Beast. We've already seen glimpses of Emma Watson's Belle in the trailer, but now we may out first taste of what to expect from her singing-wise from an unusual source: a doll.
Instagram user the_West_Wing stumbled across a Hasbro doll of Beauty and the Beast's Belle that's now being sold. While the video above doesn't show what said doll looks like, there's a decent sampling of what sounds like Emma Watson singing "Something There," a classic from the original animated movie. Keep in mind that this may not be exactly how her rendition of "Something There" will sound in the finalized movie. Plus, as is sometimes the case with movie musicals, they may have adjusted her vocals in post-production. Still, if Watson's singing sounds as good as what this preview audio indicates, then she'll surely be a worthy successor to Paige O'Hara, the actress who voiced Belle in the 1991 classic.
Beauty and the Beast definitely won't have any shortage of singing talent among its cast, as most of its actors, like Ewan McGregor and Josh Gad, have previous musical experience. As for how Beauty and the Beast's musical numbers were handled, Emma Watson mentioned last year how in addition to the actors obviously providing pre-recorded vocals, some of them sang live on set during takes, though it will be up to the editors to decide which version will be better for the movie. Fun fact about Watson, she was also approached to appear in La La Land around the same time Miles Teller was supposed to co-star, but she turned it down to appear in Beauty and the Beast. As we all know, the two lead roles in La La Land ended up going to Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.
"Something There," which Belle and Beast sing as they're growing more fond of each other, is just one of the many classic Beauty and the Beast songs that are being brought back for the remake. Others include "Gaston," "Be Our Guest," and, of course "Beauty and the Beast," which Mrs. Potts sings while the eponymous protagonists are dancing in the ballroom. There will also be three brand new songs included in the live action movie, but for those of you who love the Broadway musical, none of the songs created for the stage production will be featured.
Beauty and the Beast will work its magic in theaters on March 17, 2017.
