Dream Cast Thursday! Beauty and the Beast

This week's Dream Cast Thursday is Beauty and the Beast. The very first version of the fairy tale was published in 1740 by Madame Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot. The most well-known version of the tale was published in 1786 by Jeanne-Marie le Prince de Beaumont. The original tale involves a wealthy merchand and his three daughters. Two of the sisters are selfish. Belle is the sweetest. He looses all of his wealth, and they all must live in a small farmhouse. One day the merchant goes to town and promises all of his daughters a gift. The two eldest ask for jewelry. Belle asks for a rose. The merchant becomes lost in a forest and eventually comes upon a castle. The owner leaves him food and drink. After resting and eating, the merchant leaves. As he is leaving, he sees a rose and picks it. The owner, a beast, becomes angry and imprisons him for stealing his most precious possession. The merchant explains the situation. The beast allows him to leave if the merchant will send his daughter in his place.  The beast treats Belle well and proposes to her each night. Each night she refuses and dreams of a handsome prince that also asks. She tells him that she loves him only as a friend. Belle becomes convinced that the prince is a prisoner in the castle. She becomes homesick. The beast allows her to return home only if she promises to return. Belle's sisters are jealous of all of the gifts that the beast has given Belle. Every time she is about to leave, they beg her to stay. When Belle finally returns, the beast is nearly dead. She weeps over him and tells him that she loves him. Her tears transform him into the handsome prince.

The first character that I recast was Belle. Before casting her, I considered two adaptations. In the Disney adaptation from 1991, she was played by Paige O'Hara. The second adaptation was the television series from 1987. In this adaptation, she was Catherine and was played by Linda Hamilton. For my adaptation, I recast Rose Byrne.

The second character that I recast was the Prince/Beast. He has been played by Robby Benson and Ron Perlman. For my adaptation, I recast Martin Henderson.

The third character that I recast was the father. He was originally played by Rex Everheart. For my adaptation, I recast Bob Newhart.

The last character that I recast was the Gaston character. He was originally played by Richard White. For my adaptation, I recast Jon Hamm.

So what do you all think? What adaptations have you seen, and which one is your favorite? Who would be in your adaptations?