LOS ANGELES -- Disney's Beauty and the Beast is in talks to cast Dan Stevens as Beast and Luke Evans as Gaston, Mashable has confirmed, rounding out a group of formidable Hollywood up-and-comers for its next fantasy live-action feature.
Rival trade publications The Hollywood Reporter and Variety respectively first reported the negotiations on Wednesday evening.
They join Emma Watson, who will play Belle (first reported by another rival trade, TheWrap, back in January.)
Evans (above, right), who played Bard in The Hobbit trilogy, is in talks to play Gaston, the villainous suitor for Belle who turns the town into a pitchfork-wielding mob when Belle falls for The Beast.
Stevens (above, left), who played main love interest Matthew Crawley on Downton Abbey before choosing to leave the show -- which was accomplished in a car wreck -- has been quickly filling up his dance card. After an impressive turn in 2014's The Guest, he has three films in various stages of production (Oppenheimer Strategies, The Ticket, Criminal Activities) and now Beast on the way.
Though talks were apparently still ongoing, Stevens left this subtle message Wednesday on Twitter:
pic.twitter.com/GKiJKyE5H9— Dan Stevens (@thatdanstevens) March 5, 2015
Dreamgirls and Twilight Saga finale director Bill Condon is directing Beauty and the Beast, which is set to come out in 2016.