The live action movie Beauty and the Beast already has one good thing driving it - British actress and UN ambassadress Emma Watson will be playing the titular role. And so the latest casting news for Beast and Gaston will only help make things more interesting for the movie.
Variety said that the actor who will play Belle's tortured love interest is Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens (goodbye, Ryan Gosling!). In Downton Abbey, Stevens played the lead role Matthew Crawley, who managed to woo the strong-willed Lady Mary despite her initial disinterest. His new role in Beauty and the Beast will be a huge shift for the actor, since he is so used to playing the kind-hearted and noble Matthew in Downton Abbey.
As Beast, Stevens will have to portray an always angry, doubting character who will later be transformed by the purity of Belle, who comes to live with him.
Meanwhile, the arrogant and overbearing Gaston will be portrayed by Luke Evans, the same guy who brought down the smug dragon Smaug in The Hobbit series.
Evans is currently under negotiations to star in the new film, which was made popular by Walt Disney Animation Studios back in 1991.
In The Hobbit, Evans played a hero. He was Bard the Bowman, a natural-born leader villagers looked up to. Should the live action film prove similar to the animated film, Gaston's character is sure to wreak havoc for the lovers Beast and Belle no matter what the cost.
As Gaston, he will still be looked up to by villagers, but this time he will be wielding his influence for the destruction of Beast in order to get what his heart desires - Belle.
Evans is no stranger to villainous roles. He is also known for playing the villain in the 2013 film Fast and Furious 6 and the villain-slash-hero in the 2014 monster movie Dracula Untold.
The Welsh actor is also expected to star in upcoming movies such as Free Fire with Olivia Wilde and Cillian Murphy, as well as the revenge thriller Message from the King.
Bill Condon (Twilight) is directing the film, while David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films will be producing. The script was written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and rewritten by Steve Chbosky, the author of the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Moreover, production will begin later this year. No release date has been set.
