Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of the most anticipated film releases of the year. The 1991 animated classic finally translates to live action film, with stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast/Prince. The assignment came so early in the project's development that Chris was given only the designer’s concept art for the characters to work from. With absolutely no photo reference, the task of imbuing Belle and Beast with the lifelike qualities of the actors that would embody these characters was no small feat - especially when it came to Dan Stevens as the Beast. Envisioning his young, handsome face under heavy makeup, prosthetics and tons of hair, while maintaining his essence, was daunting to say the least. A year later we were amazed, upon seeing the trailers to the film, how close to the mark Chris’ drawings of Dan as the Beast actually were.
The theory here at Outlines is that Chris has an affinity for the Beast. Back in the day (when the animated classic was up for an Oscar for Best Animated Film) Chris illustrated TV Guide’s Oscar Issue cover, featuring the Beast attending the Academy Awards. (That’s Chris’ self portrait sitting behind the beast)
