It may only be in the early stages of development, and Disney may currently be referring to it as **The Beast. But we’re calling it right now: any new take on the classic fairy tale (brought to the screen in Oscar-winning animated form in 1991) must surely be called Re-Beauty And The Beast. Because reboot…. Re-beauty? Oh, please yerselves.
The Mouse House certainly is, raiding its back catalogue once more for another title it can turn into a live-action story in the hopes of making a mint a la Alice In Wonderland and, if its early figures are any guide, Oz The Great And Powerful, as well as other upcoming fairytales like Maleficent.
Joe Ahearne, a veteran of writing or directing This Life, Doctor Who, Apparitions and, one of this writer’s favourite vampire tweaks, Ultraviolet, has been tasked with finding a new way into the Beauty story with, given how he usually works, probably a darker tone. Still, this is Disney he’s working for, so we doubt he’ll push it too far into dangerous territory.
If you’re looking for more of Ahearne’s work, he also wrote and directed the original TV movie version of Trance that inspired and led to Danny Boyle’s new film take, which hits our screens on March 27.