Beauty and the Beast trailer: Lea Seydoux courts Vincent Cassel in exclusive clip

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Published on July 27, 2016 12:00PM EDT

On the Beauty and the Beast film front, Emma Watson isn’t the only Belle of the ball; French actress Léa Seydoux stars as the iconic character in Christophe Gans’ fantastical adaptation of the classic fable, and EW has an exclusive first look at the movie’s whimsical international trailer.

The second high profile adaptation of Beauty and the Beast set for release within the next year, Gans’ version, a German-French co-production, offers a dark, melancholy take on the beloved fairy tale.

The Beauty and the Beast trailer introduces Belle (Seydoux) as the beautiful daughter of an exiled merchant who, after stealing a rose from a mysterious, dilapidated castle, is sentenced to death by the Beast (Vincent Cassel). In an attempt to save her family, Belle sacrifices herself, taking her father’s place at the Beast’s domain, where she quickly discovers life with the reclusive, troubled man beneath the furor is far from what she expected.

Featuring gorgeous production design and lavish costumes, Beauty and the Beast captivated audiences worldwide after premiering at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival, where it screened out of competition ahead of a theatrical bow in several global markets. It has thus far grossed $49.1 million from foreign territories.

At the 40th edition of the César Awards (the French equivalent to the Academy Awards), the film earned three nominations; one for Christophe Beaucarne’s cinematography and another for Pierre-Yves Gayraud’s costume design, while Thierry Flamand’s production design won the César in its respective category.

Gans, who’s directed only four feature films over the last 21 years, typically crafts stunning, visually-driven films with arresting aesthetics, including Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001) and the video game adaptation, Silent Hill (2006). As the trailer promises elaborate sets and vast action sequences, Beauty and the Beast appears to be no exception.

Seydoux previously won Cannes’ prestigious Palme d’Or award for her performance in the 2013 romance Blue is the Warmest Color ahead of landing the female lead in 2015’s James Bond flick, Spectre. Cassel is perhaps best known to American audiences for his supporting role opposite Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis in the 2010 Oscar-winning film, Black Swan.

Beauty and the Beast opens domestically on Sept. 23.