Listen, I'm as excited as you are that the newest trailer is out. But why is there no singing in the Beauty and the Beast trailer? The music is such a huge part of the Disney movie that I'm surprised it isn't being highlighted in our first real look at the rebooot. This can't mean that there won't be singing in the full movie, could it? Short answer: no, it couldn't possibly mean that, so you can stop hyperventilating right now. No one from the production staff of the film has officially commented on why the trailer didn't include even a little snippet of singing, but I would imagine it has something to do with how much plot they had to cover in just two minutes of trailer.
When you're working with a story as familiar as Beauty and the Beast, there are a lot of images, characters, costumes, and lines of dialogue that your audience is going to be anxious to see, and the trailer clips through those pretty quickly. You see the castle, you see Belle's father Maurice, you get your first glimpse of the Beast and that iconic line, "step into the light." you see the enchanted objects of the castle like Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth, you see the angry villagers, including Gaston, you see the enchanted rose, you see that yellow dress, and you see Belle and the Beast start to fall in love.
That's a lot to cruise through in 120 seconds, and I think Disney did it beautifully, backing it all with the orchestral strains of the most recognizable song of the original movie — "Tale As Old As Time."
If they jam all of that into one trailer, can you really blame them that we never got to hear Emma Watson launch into song? And, even if there was time for it, they have to hold something back for the next trailer. They have to tease us a little, because, as the saying goes, why buy an enchanted teapot when you can get the tea for free?
But, regardless, one thing you don't need to worry about is Beauty and the Beast's songs not being a focus in the full movie, as director Bill Condon was clear in his conversation with People that the music really is going to be a star:
Every song from the animated film is there, and we added three songs. The new songs had to do with the ways we were expanding and filling out the backstories of Belle and the Beast. One is the big, tragic solo for Dan at the end.
So not only are we not getting less music than in the original — we're actually getting more. And just as I suspected, Condon can't wait for you to hear Watson's voice, whether that's in the next trailer or the film's premiere on Mar. 17, 2017: "What I love about her voice is that it’s a complete extension of the voice we all know. It’s very clear, very pure. I think it’s going to delight people."
There may not have been singing in the trailer, but there will most certainly be singing in the movie. For now, we should be thankful for what we've been given a glimpse of so far, because it's a lot.
Image: Walt Disney Pictures
