In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the Beauty and the Beast live-action featurette released by Disney this morning, we actually caught our first glimpse at two fan-favorite characters: Mrs. Potts and her son, Chip. Voice by Angela Landsbury in the original animated classic in 1991, Mrs. Potts this time around will be voiced by Emma Thompson. The character, who mothers more than just her own children, also has the distinction of singing the titular number of the film, “Beauty and the Beast.”
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The concept art spotted features two fairly different versions of Mrs. Potts, while Chip (who has a chip on his cup – the question being, did he have that name before being magically transformed into a tea recepticle?) looks mostly the same in both versions. The first Mrs. Potts has a bit of a rounder face emblazoned on a pretty standard metal teapot. The second has a much more realistic looking face that isn’t as matched to the features of the pot itself, and said pot is much more ornate and distinct. Interestingly, while Chip’s nose is his handle, as it was in the original film, Mrs. Potts looks like her face will be on one side of the pot, rather than making the spout her nose as in the animated movie. Check out both versions of both characters in the image below.
Perhaps when the full featurette is released with the Digital HD and Blu-ray 25th Anniversary Editions of the animated film later this month, we’ll find out for sure which one they decided to go with.
Alas, we probably won’t find out the secret origin of Chip’s name. Disney’s official synopsis for the film, due out in March 2017, follows.
“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a live-action adaptation of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. Beauty and the Beast is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscarยฎ winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globeยฎ nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, the feather duster; six-time Tony Awardยฎwinner Audra McDonald as Madame Garderobe, the wardrobe; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Awardยฎ winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.
“Directed by Oscarยฎ winner Bill Condon based on the 1991 animated film, the screenplay is by Evan Spiliotopoulos and Bill Condon and Stephen Chbosky and is produced by Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, with eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awardsยฎ (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the 1991 animated film, providing the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as several new songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice. Beauty and the Beast will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.”
