Official "Beauty & the Beast" Film Adaptation Thread

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Oh God, can some of you turn don the crazy a few nodges? It's so delusional to think Disney would have ever hired a Broadway actress to headline a musical adaptation of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, especially considering the fact that Belle is a dream role for a slew of A-list talent in ways that say Alice or Cinderella aren't.

Second, wtf are you worried about? As others said, it's obviously a talk show anecdote that he clearly memorized. And you should be worried if they hadn't realized that they needed to re-record the songs.

 

[Elfuhbuh]

BWW is still referring to the movie as an adaptation of the Broadway musical.

[JoseLee_]

I REALLY hope they use "Home", "If I Can't Love Her", and "A Change in Me" from the Broadway show.

[DigificWriter]

"I REALLY hope they use "Home", "If I Can't Love Her", and "A Change in Me" from the Broadway show."

 They're not.

The film is based strictly on the original animated film, with the addition of some brand-new material from Menken and Rice written and composed specifically for it and a brand-new Enchanted Object character played by Stanley Tucci.

Director Bill Condon had previously said it was his intent to use the Broadway songs, but something clearly changed... which, BTW, is fine.

The movie isn't going to be somehow 'lesser' for not having the Broadway version's songs, and I have faith that the new material will end up working just fine with the rest of the familiar score.

[westendfanatic]

"The movie isn't going to be somehow 'lesser' for not having the Broadway version's songs, and I have faith that the new material will end up working just fine with the rest of the familiar score."

As long as they keep the "prologue", "the west wing" and the "transformation/ending" compositions, I don't care. Their music is stunning.  

 

[Bilbo3]

Director Bill Condon had previously said it was his intent to use the Broadway songs, but something clearly changed...

I don't remember reading that. I wonder what changed...

[broadwayboy223]

My gut feeling is that perhaps Emma Watson doesn't have the voice for all the extra Broadway songs. It's a shame really. I was looking forward to seeing the full show preserved in a movie. 

[Bilbo3]

I really can't (and don't want to) believe that Emma Watson is the reason we won't be hearing the beautiful Broadway songs. It's not like "Home" is of "Rainbow High" caliber. If she can't sing Home, No Matter what  and  A change in me, the we might as well just replace all her songs with Twinkly twinkle little star  and other nursery rhymes. 

But like I said, I'm in denial Watson's singing ability is the reason for this...

 

[DigificWriter]

"Director Bill Condon had previously said it was his intent to use the Broadway songs, but something clearly changed...
I don't remember reading that. I wonder what changed..."

 Here's where we learned that Condon's original intention was to include the songs from the Broadway production:

http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/twilight-director-bill-condon-to-translate-disneys-beauty-and-the-beat-to-live-action#XlmGEuY4YfavH3C3.99

As for what changed and why, we know that the original script-writer (Evan Spiliotopoulos) was replaced, which is more than likely what led to the decision not to include the songs from the Broadway version as Condon had originally planned.

 

[Bilbo3]

Thanks for the link. If hundreds of high school girls can sing "Home", I don't see why a professional like Emma cannot. I assume she has a voice instructor for this part to whip her voice into shape... 

[jimmycurry01]

"Director Bill Condon had previously said it was his intent to use the Broadway songs, but something clearly changed...
I don't remember reading that. I wonder what changed..."

 I could do without most of the additions to the Broadway score anyway. I didn't really care for most of them, and they seemed to slow things down. 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Really late to this party due to my unintentional BWW hiatus...but Angela Lansbury will always be Mrs. Potts to me...as great as Emma Thompson is, I don't feel like she's got enough "warmth" for character. But who knows.

[westendfanatic]

Not being a Twilight fan, I just hope Bill Condon doesn't make this film dark and gothic like Twilight was. 

[Dave19]

"I could do without most of the additions to the Broadway score anyway. I didn't really care for most of them, and they seemed to slow things down. "

 

This.

I agree, the songs in the film are great and actually add something. The Broadway additions felt just like "filling up material". "Home", "If I can't love her" are nothing more than repeating what has been said before and turned into a (long) song. I also don't understand the 15-minute dance break in "Be our guest". It takes the spark out of the story and the material.

They tend to do this with a lot of Disney musicals, for example Aladdin, where in the theatre version "friend like me" has a 20 minute dance break and all the unnecessary extra songs like "call me a princess (look at how blase I am, we already know that, next). Same goes for the Lion King "chow down", with the tapdancing hyena's, the lioness hunt, one by one, etc.

I feel they need to stay away from the theatre version as far as possible. Treat it like a real film with all the filmic editing and possibilities, anything is possible in film, especially with music, certain parts being heard as a character's thoughts, dream sequences, elaborate cinematography etc. Maybe instrumental music over certain sequences, or pre-recorded singing as a kind of soundtrack for a certain scene, without the character actual lip-synching because something else happens, etc. Not like theatre, not like the Les Mis film, which was basically a 1 take theatre performance but then with bad singers. Film needs much more than that. Better singing and better cinematography. So especially if you don't have a great singing leading lady, focus on the cinematopralhy to make the scenes work, especially when using singing and music. More unnecessary ballads for an inadequate singer is by no means the solution.

 

 

[fashionguru_23]

Let me say that I love the film, and the musical. I do really like the songs from the Broadway show, but I could do without them, and just keep the movie songs, plus the new ones. The only musical song that I think they should keep, or rewrite is something for the Beast in the same vein of "If I Can't Love Her". Maison Des Lunes, Me, No Matter What, How Long Must This Go On, and A Change In Me are all fine songs (personally I like A Change in Me, but at the point in the show it needs to wrap up. Or have the Beast sing a counterpoint with the same lyrics). 

I think what the musical really did, that the movie did not (which I'm going to assume is due to running time), is explore the "human" side of the Beast. In "If I Can't Love Her", you really get to know the Beast for who he is, and you know his motivation behind saving her from the wolves. He really wants this to work with Belle. I think that what happens with all of this is that you finally agree that the story is called "Beauty and the Beast" because it is about Beauty AND the Beast

[Dave19]

Yes, but there are plenty of other options in film to show more of the beast's background and character, that does not have to be in a ballad. 

Ballads are for great singers. Who use every note to act, who really understand and embrace the art of this chosen language, instead of making the audience feel that they would rather speak than sing (les mis).

[theaterfan15]

I think once Chbosky was hired to re-write the script, it was clear that they wanted to take a different approach to the film by not including the musical's songs. Another reason for this decision might have to do with what I posted a while back about the running times of films. Chbosky was hired for this project back in September 2014, which was just one month after Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella finished post-production. Plus, Maleficent had just been released in theaters three months prior as well. Since those films have running times of 107 minutes and 98 minutes respectively, Disney probably thought this movie should run for a similar length. A direct adaptation of the Broadway show would have way too long for younger audiences who like to go to the movies.

[Elfuhbuh]

"Not being a Twilight fan, I just hope Bill Condon doesn't make this film dark and gothic like Twilight was. "

 

Twilight was neither "dark" nor "Gothic."

[RW3]

I wonder if the cut songs from the Broadway production will be added to the soundtrack as bonus songs?

[Tag]

I wonder if the cut songs from the Broadway production will be added to the soundtrack as bonus songs?

Why would they do that?  THIS ISN'T THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION!
Deal with it, Broadway songs are NOT happened.

[RW3]

"I wonder if the cut songs from the Broadway production will be added to the soundtrack as bonus songs?
Why would they do that?  THIS ISN'T THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION!
Deal with it, Broadway songs are NOT happened."

First, chill. It's not necessary to get so worked up about a question over a movie that is coming out in two years. Second, adding cut songs or songs that weren't used is a common practice. Third, I believe the correct sentence is, "Deal with it, the Broadway songs are not happening". Your sentence is incorrect.

 

[willep]

Ha, nice try, RW3, Tag made a tiny typo, whoop-dee-doo. His point is still valid, they aren't doing the Broadway production, so why would they go through the extra effort to record the Broadway songs just for the soundtrack? Some of you can't seem to wrap your head around the fact that this movie is not based on the Broadway version...

[gypsy101]

The only song I'm truly sad they aren't using is Home. I was sad Belle didn't have a real song to herself a la Part of Your World, and I thought Home was a perfect song for Belle.

[RW3]

willep, I was merely pointing out an error to Tag. Also, I clearly know and recognize that the movie isn't an adaptation of the musical. I was merely asking a question. It's you and Tag that are getting so bent out of shape for a movie that is coming out in two years. Let's be real, we have no clue what Disney is going to do for the soundtrack. We can assume that the songs that are going to be in the movie will be on the soundtrack, but we don't know what else will be on it or if anything else will be on it. In addition, try harder if you want to come for me.

[Elfuhbuh]

And Dave, we get it; you didn't like the Les Mis film. Now can you please stop mentioning it in every single thread pertaining to movie musicals? 

[Dave19]

"And Dave, we get it; you didn't like the Les Mis film. Now can you please stop mentioning it in every single thread pertaining to movie musicals? "

I just used it as an example as to why it is a good thing to give a non-singer no extra songs.

About the other subject, they did record many songs of Cinderella, which they did not use in the film. I almost heard the whole un-used Disney soundtrack during the title roll.