More casting developments have surfaced for the recently announced Disney live action remake of 'Beauty and the Beast.' News now tells us that actor Ian McKellan has been picked up for the role as Cogsworth, the butler who was transformed into the clock.

"The roll call already includes Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast/Prince, Luke Evans as the vain villain Gaston, Josh Gad as Le Fou, Gaston's buffoonish and loyal sidekick, and Audra McDonald as Garderobe," writes THR.

This really brings the hype for this film to whole new levels. McKellan is a very established actor, especially in the fantasy realm, as he's played Gandalf in the 'Lord of the Rings' franchise, as well as his titular role as Magneto in the 'X-Men' movies.

It's also recently been announced that his version of the character Magneto won't be featured in the upcoming 'X-Men: Age of Apocalypse,' so this does free up his schedule for this remake.

The Disney reboot film is slated to release in March 17^th, 2017.