Wishful Thinking: My Own Reimagined Live Action Disney's Beauty And The Beast

I decided to rewatch both the Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Beauty and the Beast (2017)  and I still like the older one better in terms of charm. The 2017 had some background story but I felt it lacked the charm. So I decided to finally write down my crazy thoughts in the form of a literary critique with my own wishful thinking -- and that I even wished the remake happened and I wish it happened in 2011 and not 2017 to get a young cast that I wanted.

First, I really thought about it maybe far too many times about why I thought Emma Watson was their pick for Belle. Sure, she can do something else but I felt like Belle wasn't for that character. Instead, I thought about Emma Roberts as Belle at 20 years old. Okay, Belle may be actually 17 or something but I think Roberts would fit the role with her appearance. Plus, I think a Belle that's only 5'2 would be a "little more fitting" for the role of Belle.

So what's my idea for Belle for my imagined remake? Belle could be portrayed as someone who teaches children to read. She goes to the library and she's got her nose stuck in a book. I would give her the two haughty sisters and one brother who appear in the other adaptations of said book. In my own imagination -- her oddness puts her aside from her sisters. She's in an unfabulous town and she comments how unfabulous her provincial life is and get worse. It's the same old provincial town and she wants adventure in the great wide somewhere.


My casting for Gaston will be Zac Efron who was in his early 20s that time. We need a charismatic, suave, handsome man to play the villain -- not someone who's 30ish and freakingly looks more like a hybrid of Jafar and Gaston in Luke Evans. I don't mind if Evans plays Jafar though -- he's got that sinister look I'd look to play the stereotypical villain but not handsome enough or that charismatic enough to be Gaston. Evans feels like an evil vizier who desires after young princess than a charismatic villain.

Gaston still works as the town hero and a hunter. I'd still keep him as a hunter and women are so attracted to him -- all but Belle. I think Efron's experience at High School Musical would make him a good Gaston. You need someone with good singing talent and charisma to play Gaston. Also, this would make a scene of him staring at the mirror -- thinking nobody deserves him to be more believable than Evans who looks too much like Jafar. Then he saws how his childhood infatuation when he was ten years old (maybe put a three-year gap between them) Belle has grown to the most attractive girl in town -- at least in his perspective.

So how would the relationship of Gaston and Belle work? Gaston has been infatuated with Belle since they were children but it mutates into deadly lust when they both grow up. Gaston wants Belle solely for her good looks while he fools around with other women. He views Belle as merely a property to have than a bride to cherish -- just like in the musical version. Belle tries to nicely avoid Gaston in every way possible but he's not an easy person to evade.

Here's where I think how Gaston would be with since Belle has siblings. He sees both siblings are attractive but not as attractive as Belle. Gaston is a friend of Belle's older brother and he owns the local pub. I'd probably remove the whole illiterate plot. He thinks it's wrong for women to read (and only men should do) so he could easily control Belle. But Belle's so well-read she could easily avoid him. While both sisters tend to quarrel over Gaston but they end up mutually hating Belle -- for the reason that Gaston has chosen Belle over them.

One of my biggest complaints (if ever) was how Gaston got portrayed out as a buffoon in contrast to Avenant in the 1946 film. Take note that this didn't come in so much until I saw the 1946 film. I thought of it that Gaston should have been less obvious to be the villain. He should appear as a perfect gentleman, well-educated, refined, wealthy and has a connection to Belle's family. In fact, if I were to write the script then Belle would have siblings like she did in the 1946 film. Make him a friend of Belle's family and he's aware of their financial situation plus give him and Belle a childhood past. He was infatuated with her as children but it mutated into deadly lust the moment she grew up.

He should appear as a smooth talking villain. No, I wouldn't even have Gaston proposing to Belle with him putting his shoes on top of Belle's book or anything like that. He would propose like a perfect gentleman asking her to marry him. I wouldn't have him throwing beer into the fire after the failed proposal either. Instead, he would try to keep calm as much as possible even after Belle has publicly humiliated him.

One of the reasons why I think Efron would be a good Gaston is also because of his vocals -- aside from the good looks. We need a High School musical going on and what better guy than Efron? I wanted to think of how to rewrite Gason with "Efron" for fun. We need a High School musical type of setting -- especially when Gaston who's probably just entered 20 would need a "little wife" though he makes irrational judgments based on his lust. 

I could think about the whole relationship between Belle and Beast. Sometimes, I wonder if Belle ever developed Stockholm Syndrome? Belle shows both strengths and weaknesses making her very human. She shoves off Gaston while she volunteers to take Maurice's place in the dungeon. However, Beast finds Belle too attractive to be in a dungeon and decides to move her into a guest room. Beast hopes he can win her heart and free him -- but she couldn't stand his temperamental idiocy. Worse, it's because all Belle wanted was a rose and Beast gets too temperamental over it!

What I did like about the 2017 version was the explanation of why Beast turned out that way. I wanted to have Belle sympathize Beast a little more. I would probably still keep the whole part where Beast demands Belle to have dinner with him or the part where he scares her out. I would have Belle try to help Beast up her horse but make her a little weaker. Beast helps her up which the two have an argument about her running away. Belle would probably think that she's now stuck in between two possible bad marriages -- a handsome abusive hunter vs. an ugly somewhat abusive beast. But she realizes Beast isn't really all that abusive and is merely temperamental after she hears his backstory.

Speaking of the whole confrontation scene -- I felt like a 5'2 tall Belle stood up against a rather huge creature concerning his temper would be powerful. Belle knows she's got a pretty short stature compared to Beast but she stands up to him anyway. She mentions that he should learn to control that temper of hers especially when he complains about his wounds hurting. Beast starts to realize the error of his ways and apologizes to Belle for his earlier actions. Belle sees through Beast's insecurities and knows about his humanity little by little.


I could add a new plot where Beast attempts to pop the question or ask Belle to marry him after their romantic dinner and dance. Belle wants to say yes but she's given a vision that her father is in danger. Beast allows her to go and gives her the magic mirror to remember him by.  I would have Maurice sick in bed. Gaston finds Maurice but not Belle so he has to wait for her to return.

This would be where Belle reunites with her father. Her two sisters report her return to Gaston. Belle tells his father that Beast let her go and this startles everyone. Belle's brother tries to help her out -- having realized Gaston isn't the best man for her. In the middle of the night -- the keeper of the asylum comes in to collect Maurice. Belle's brother gets so upset at this underhanded tactic. Gaston tells Belle that she will resolve this misunderstanding if she agrees to marry him which she downright refuses.

Belle finally shows Beast off to the crowd. The crowd is frightened yet they don't question the magic mirror at all for some reason. Gaston believes Belle has been put into a spell by Beast and is now determined to "break it" for his own selfish reasons. Then we could get a bit of High School Musical with Gaston singing "Kill the Beast".

For the mob song, I think Efron could swoon the whole crowd with the song "Kill the Beast". I could imagine the distress Roberts will have in this scene and she's labeled as "crazy as the old man" and she's locked up so Gaston can marry her later. Belle's brother rescues both Belle and their father Maurice and agrees to help them. The sisters join the mob hoping to find the presents they wanted from Beast's castle. This would further irritate Gaston more because he realizes that Belle has agreed to marry Beast. This would result to Gaston trying to get rid of Beast so he can have Belle's hand in marriage and plunder his wealth at the same time.


I think I would have given Gaston the same fate as Avenant but only more brutal. Avenant didn't have an angry mob trying to kill the Beast. In this one, Gaston's inner ugliness proves to be his downfall. He is soon transformed into a beast he so hated to reveal his inner ugliness. The enchantress shows up to help Beast out after seeing he has learned to love and that Belle has loved him in return. The enchantress uses the same magic on Gaston who soon flees. The villagers end up chasing Gaston leaving the audience to decide his fate. Turning Gaston into a beast could have been more satisfying if you ask me!

The end scene will be a wedding scene where Belle's sisters hold the trail of her gown. Belle's brother gives the prince his blessings. A wedding dance with Beauty and the Beast is re-sung will be the closing scene.