Long before Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast dazzled audiences in 2017, another version was being developed by Guillermo del Toro, which one star regrets turning down. In 2012, del Toro confirmed that he would direct the film, тιтled Beauty, for Warner Bros., with a script written by Pride and Prejudice screenwriter Andrew Davies, and Emma Watson set to star.

However, by 2014, the Oscar-winning filmmaker stepped back from directing due to scheduling conflicts, opting to stay on as a producer. The film ultimately stalled, joining a long list of del Toro’s unmade projects, and Watson would go on to play Belle in Disney’s version instead. 2017’s Beauty and the Beast was a mᴀssive success, earning $1.2 billion worldwide.

Now, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Channing Tatum has revealed that he was once in talks to play the Beast in Guillermo del Toro’s Beauty and the Beast movie. Speaking candidly, Tatum stated that turning down the unmade project remains “one of the biggest mistakes of [his] career,” although he had his reasons. Check out his full explanation below:

One of the biggest mistakes of my career: Guillermo del Toro wanted to do Beauty and the Beast, his version of the Beast. And I’d just had a baby, I was on a movie that was absolutely killing me, and the script wasn’t totally there yet. I was just in a place in my head that I was like, “I don’t think I can do this right now.” It was the biggest mistake, because I’m the biggest Guillermo fan ever. And I think Guillermo doing Beauty and the Beast would’ve been the sickest movie ever.

Tatum explained that del Toro’s Beauty and the Beast ultimately didn’t come to fruition, as “he’s got a billion other things that he wants to do.” Furthermore, despite his good reasons, Tatum regrets turning the role down, stating: “I’ll probably never forgive myself on that one.” He then went on to say: “I hope we get to work together one day.“

What This Means For Guillermo Del Toro’s Beauty And The Beast

Tatum’s comments not only confirm longstanding rumors about del Toro’s ill-fated Beauty and the Beast but offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into how close the project came to getting off the ground. Del Toro’s vision would almost certainly have been a radically different experience from Disney’s glossy version, and for Tatum, the opportunity might have been a career-defining performance.

Tatum being considered for the Beast signals what kind of talent the studio was looking for. Emma Watson and Guillermo del Toro alone would’ve made the film a prestige-level project, but adding Tatum to the mix, especially at the height of his leading-man era, would’ve drawn considerable attention. Unfortunately, Tatum’s regret underscores how rare opportunities like this are in Hollywood.

Our Take On Channing Tatum’s Beauty And The Beast Comments

Although Disney’s Beauty and the Beast was a box office success, it’s hard not to feel the sting of what could’ve been. Del Toro’s unmade movie had all the ingredients of a genre classic: a visionary director, an A-list cast, and a world-famous fairy tale. Therefore, it’s understandable that Tatum still regrets turning it down over a decade later.

That being said, del Toro has a long track record of revisiting ideas, with things like Pinocchio, Nightmare Alley, and Crimson Peak. Therefore, with Channing Tatum publicly voicing his desire to collaborate with Guillermo del Toro, the door could still be open for other movies, even if their collaboration is not a revisit of Beauty and the Beast.