Disney’s Live-Action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Finds Its Beast in Dan Stevens

Dan Stevens has quickly become kind of a big deal, and for good reason—the guy has immense charisma and superhero-quality good looks. After turning in great performances in The Guest and A Walk Among the Tombstones, the actor has been picking up high profile supporting gigs left and right. But his latest job is the biggest yet: Disney has chosen Stevens to portray the titular Beast in their live-action update of Beauty and the Beast.

THR reports that Stevens has signed on to star as the prince who, thanks to a curse, is transformed into a hideous beast (very un-Stevens-like, for sure)—a spell which can only be broken by true love’s kiss, in true Disney fashion. Stevens will star opposite Emma Watson as Belle, the young woman who volunteers to take her father’s place in the Beast’s prison before eventually falling for him and discovering he’s really a prince. As announced earlier today, Luke Evans will play the villainous Gaston.

The film will be directed by Bill Condon, known for helming The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn and Dreamgirls. Beauty and the Beast is the next installment in Disney’s plans to update their classic animated films into live-action offerings, following last year’s Maleficent and this year’s Cinderella.