'Downton Abbey' Star Dan Stevens Joins 'Beauty and the Beast' -- But Who's Playing Gaston?

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Dan Stevens will play Beast to Emma Watson's Beauty.

Dan Stevens will play Beast to Emma Watson's Belle, but he's not the only UK heartthrob cast in the upcoming Disney film.

In the live-action retelling of Beauty and the Beast, the Downton Abbey star takes on the role of Watson's love interest, while Fast & Furious 6 star Luke Evans will play the vain villain Gaston, according to The Hollywood Reporter.


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Watson seemed pleased with her new castmates, tweeting: "Could not be more happy that this man will be Beast!!! Welcome aboard @thatdanstevens #beautyandthebeast."

Adding of Evans, the actress wrote: "Bonjour Gaston! Welcome!"

The classic fairy tale tells the story of a cursed prince (Stevens) and a beautiful young woman (Watson), who helps him break the spell that's turned him into a beast.

It's yet to be determined if the film will be a musical, but Watson did imply that there would be singing when she confirmed her role in the movie this past January. "It was such a big part of my growing up, it almost feels surreal that I'll get to dance to 'Be Our Guest' and sing 'Something There,'" she wrote on Facebook. "Time to start some singing lessons."


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Disney has been big on live-action films recently. Cinderella comes out March 13, while last year's retelling of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficient, did quite well at the box office, pulling in $758.4 million worldwide.


Do you think Stevens and Evans are right for these roles?