LOS ANGELES, April 11 (UPI) — British actor Ian McKellen is to play Cogsworth, the butler magically transformed by a witch into a clock, in the live-action version of Disney’s classic fairytale {i:Beauty and the Beast}.
{link:The Hollywood Reporter confirmed: “http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ian-mckellen-play-cogsworth-disneys-787883″,nw} the casting news Friday.
Bill Condon is directing the movie musical, which will star Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles.
McKellen’s {i:The Hobbit} castmate Luke Evans will portray the villain Gaston in {i:Beauty}, while Josh Gad will play Gaston’s sidekick Le Fou.
In addition to playing the wizard Gandalf in {i:The Lord of the Rings} and {i:The Hobbit} blockbusters, McKellen is also famous for his depiction of Magneto in the {i:X-Men} franchise.
{i:Beauty and the Beast} is set for theatrical release in March 2017.
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