Beauty and the Beast (2025)

Beauty and the Beastis a 2016 live-action fantasy adventure-musical film directed by Bill Condon.

It is a remake of the1991animated film of the same name, which centers around a young woman in Rococo-era France whose father becomes the prisoner of an arrgoant prince who is turned into a Beast. To save his life, she takes his place as prisoner, and eventually sees the Beast as a cursed individual who is in search of love.

The film stars Emma WatsonasBelle, andDan Stevensasthe Beast. It was distributed byWalt Disney Pictures, produced by Mandeville Films, and written by Evan Spiliotopoulos, with a script rewritten by Stephen Chbosky.

It was released on March 17,2017.

Synopsis[]

‪In a vast castle of grandeur, a young Prince is having a party of lovely women as Madame de Garderobe sings. The party is interrupted when an old hag arrives at the palace and offers the prince a rose. However, the Prince declines the rose and the hag transforms herself into an Enchantress. The Prince begs for forgiveness, but the Enchantress does not forgive him and she transforms the Prince into a Beast and all his workers into Enchanted objects, and she removes the villagers' memories of the Prince and the castle. She turns the rose into an Enchanted rose, and says that if the Prince hasn't learned to love by the time the last petal falls off the rose, he would be a Beast forever, and the Enchanted objects would become antiques.‬

‪Years later, in June 1760, in the village of Villeneuve, a young bookworm inventor named Belle is bored of her village life and seeks excitement. Gaston the village hero and former soldier seeks to make Belle his trophy wife. Belle lives with her father Maurice, an inventor and tinkerer. On day, Maurice and his horse, Philippe, gets lost in the forest while traveling to a market. While lost in the forest, they enter a part of the forest that is covered in snow and are attacked by wolves, causing them to flee to the Beast's castle. Phillipe abandons Maurice when the Beast discovers him taking a rose from the castle's garden and detains him. Phillipe trots back to the village to find Belle. When Phillipe leads Belle to the castle, she offers to take her father's place; the Beast accepts and sets her father free. Belle is released by Lumiere, the first footman who was turned into a candelabra as a result of the enchantress's curse. Belle also meets the other castle residents that were transformed by the curse: the castle's majordomo, Cogsworth, a mantel clock; Mrs. Potts, a teapot; her son Chip, a teacup; court composer, Maestro Cadenza, a harpsichord; Maestro Cadenza's wife and opera singer, Madame de Garderobe, a wardrobe; and the maid and Lumiere's girlfriend Plumette, a feather duster.‬

‪After the staffs offer Belle a meal, she wanders into the forbidden West Wing. The Beast frightens Belle and she flees into the woods and encounters a pack of wolves. The Beast rescues Belle but he gets injured in the process. He begins to develop feelings for her while she nurses his wounds and the servants reveal to her that they believe she may be the one who can love the Beast and break the curse. The Beast allows Belle access to his library and the two begin to develop feelings for each other. While the Beast has fallen in love with Belle, Belle is uncertain of her feelings due to her imprisonment.‬

‪Meanwhile, Maurice returns to Villeneuve but is unable to convince the others to rescue Belle. Gaston, a hunter and former soldier who is trying to woo Belle, agrees to help to earn Maurice's approval, but when Maurice refuses Gaston leaves him in the forest to die. Maurice is rescued by a villager named Agathe and he returns to the village accusing Gaston of attempting to kill him. Gaston convinces the villagers to send Maurice to the town's insane asylum. Using the magic mirror, Belle sees Maurice being captured and the Beast allows her to leave to save him, letting her keep the mirror to see him again. At Villeneuve, Belle rescues Maurice and proves his sanity by showing the Beast with the magic mirror. Realizing that Belle loves the Beast, Gaston convinces the villagers that the Beast is a man-eating monster and leads them to the castle to kill him. However, Maurice and Belle escapes from confinement.‬

‪While the villagers are fended off by the servants, Gaston fights the Beast. The Beast initially is too depressed to fight back, but perks up after seeing Belle return to the castle. He corners Gaston and spares his life; however, Gaston shoots the Beast in the back before the footbridge crumbles beneath his feet and he falls to his death. The Beast dies as the last petal falls from the rose and Belle professes her love to him. While watching the scene, Agathe reveals herself as the enchantress and undoes the curse, returning the Beast and his servants to their true forms alive and restoring the castle to its former glory. The village inhabitants return to the castle with their memories of it restored, and the Beast and Belle host a ball for the kingdom at which they dance.‬

Cast[]

• Emma WatsonasBelle
  • Daisy Duczmal as infant Belle
• Dan StevensasBeast/the Prince
  • Adam Mitchell (miscredited in the cast list as Rudi Goodman) as young Prince
• Luke EvansasGaston
• Kevin KlineasMaurice
  • Jolyon Coy as young Maurice
• Josh GadasLeFou
• Ewan McGregorasLumière
• Stanley TucciasMaestro Cadenza
• Audra McDonaldasMadame de Garderobe
• Gugu Mbatha-RawasPlumette
• Hattie Morahanasthe Enchantress/Agathe
  • Rita Davies as the Enchantress's disguise: an old woman
• Nathan MackasChip
• Ian McKellenasCogsworth
• Emma ThompsonasMrs. Potts
• Thomas Padden asChapeau
• Gizmo asFrouFrou
• Clive RoweasCuisiner
• Adrian SchillerasMonsieur D'Arque
• Jimmy Johnston, Dean Street and Alexis Loizon asTom, Dick, and Stanley
• Sophie Reid, Rafaëlle Cohen and Carla Nella as theVillage Lasses
• Zoe RaineyasBelle's Mother
• Gerard HoranasJean Potts
• Tom Turner (miscredited in the cast list asHenry Garrett) asthe King
• Harriet Jones asthe Queen
• Ray Fearon asPère Robert

Differences between Animation (1991) and Live-Action (2017)[]

• ‪The Enchantress plays a much larger, less defined, role in the 2017 film.‬
• Unlike the animated film, Maurice was an artist rather than an inventor. Instead, Belle is now an inventor.‬
• Belle's backstory was explained on the film. This reveals why she and her father moved to a small town.‬
• Aside from Belle, the Beast's backstory was also explained on how he became heartless towards the people.‬
• ‪Cadenza was a new character added for the 2017 film. He is the husband of the wardrobe.‬
• Sultan is renamed as Fru Fru in the 2017 film.‬
• ‪Chip was an only child of Mrs. Potts. In the animated film, Chip had numerous brothers and sisters who were minor characters.‬
• Unlike the animated film, the Enchantress gave the Beast not only the enchanted rose and the mirror but also a book that enables him to transport on a particular place.‬
• Whenever a petal falls, parts of the castle will collapse and the staff gradually lose their humanity and become more inanimate. This is not present in the animated film.‬
• Maurice was imprisoned in the castle only because of the rose he picked for Belle. This is a similar scene from the original fairy tale.‬
• ‪Belle did not take off the glass cover of the bell-jar when the Beast caught her.‬
• LeFou was taller in this film. He was not bisexual in the original (however, he dances with a woman at the end, only to get accidentally paired up with a man when it comes time to change dance partners; the two look at each other in shock and are not seen again after this).‬
• Unlike the original film, LeFou reformed at the end when he felt betrayed after Gaston left him to be beaten by the enchanted objects while Gaston left to find and kill the Beast during the battle.‬
• Gaston was not muscular and had a mustache in this film. He was also known for being a soldier who fought during the war rather than just a hunter.‬
• The Beast did not take Belle to a bedroom but it was Lumiere instead.‬
• Fifi is renamed as Plumette in the 2017 film.‬
• ‪In the 2017 film, Gaston shot the Beast using a pistol instead of an arrow. And before his death, Gaston shot the Beast in the back with his pistol instead of stabbing him with a dagger.‬
• The Enchantress appears to revive the Beast and reverse the curse she planted on him, watching as Belle tearfully confesses her true feelings. She does not, however, reveal herself to Belle nor speak to her. (She doesn't actually speak in the film at all, she remained a silent role, like in the animated film)‬
• Majority of the characters' physical appearance as the enchanted objects inside the castle were changed: Mrs. Potts' face was now on the right side of the teapot instead of at the spout, Lumiere somewhat appears to be a golden sculptured human figure candlestick but when he transforms; his figure of a candlestick with three branches still remains, Madame de Garderobe's face was inside the wardrobe instead on the top and Plumette resembles a miniature swan rather than an ordinary feather duster.‬
• During "Something There", Belle and the Beast did sing unlike in the animated film where their singing voices are only non-dietetic during the scene.‬
• In the 2017 film, Gaston falls to his death when a footbridge in which he was standing breaks apart.‬
• In the 2017 film, Gaston was planning to murder Maurice when he reveals that Gaston will never marry Belle. As a result, he ties Maurice up to a tree hoping for the wolves to devour him.‬
• ‪Maurice has a much bigger role than in the animated film.‬
• Belle did not save Maurice but it was the Enchantress, under the guise Agathe, instead.‬
• Chip didn't use a wood chopper to save Belle and Maurice, rather Maurice uses something long and pointy to unlock the lock on the wagon.

• ‪When the servants are revived as humans, Cogsworth's human name, Henri, is revealed by a female villager who recognized her husband.‬

• Three new songs were written and composed for the film, in addition to the original songs featured in the animated version, except for the reprise song ofGaston.

• None of the Broadway songs were present, not even "Human Again", which was present for the 2002 Special Edition of the animated film although the instrumental version of the Broadway song "Home" was featured in this film.

• In both films, LeFou inadvertently starts the battle with the servants. In the live-action film, it is because he mistakes Mrs. Potts for Chip's grandmother, while in the animated film, it starts when he picks up Lumière.
• After Belle and Maurice break out of the carriage in the animated film, Maurice comes with her back to the castle but she goes alone in the 2017 film.

• The Bookstore owner is changed into the character Père Robert, the village chaplain, and is given a slightly more significant and heroic role in terms of helping Belle pick up her laundry when was she treated unfairly by the town headmaster and the townsfolk.

• Several characters have different designs due to the medium of live-action:

• The Beast's physical appearance had minor changes: Instead of a combining features of various animals, he resembles more explicitly an anthropomorphic lion and his pair of horns features like an antelope instead of a buffalo. Also, his wild boar-like tusks and wolf-like tail are completely omitted in the 2017 film.
• Many of the enchanted objects inside the castle are changed: Mrs Potts' face is now on the right side of the teapot instead of on the spout (they were originally going to have it at the spout, but the teapot ended up looking like a pig); Lumière somewhat appears to be a golden sculptured human figure candlestick but when he transforms, his figure of a candlestick with three branches still remains; Cogsworth's designs particularly the frontal base features a variety of weapon and object figures such as cannon, cannonballs, sword, spear, blunderbuss rifle, pistol, quill, amulets and a pocket watch that covers the frontal base instead of a glass cover though the pendulum remains intact but hidden and also has Roman numerals on his face and when he transforms back into a human, they are on his coat buttons; Froufrou retains the figure of a footstool but somehow resembles the form of a piano bench and upon transforming in his normal self, he resembles as a Yorkshire Terrier breed; Garderobe's face is inside the wardrobe instead of on the top; and Plumette resembles a miniature swan/peacock rather than an ordinary feather duster.
• Gaston has a light mustache in this film. He is also known for being a former soldier, an army captain, who had once fought off Portuguese marauders (according to Luke Evans in an interview) and saved the village during the war, rather than as just a local hero, hunter and tavern owner. Unlike the animated film, his muscular figure is removed.
• The triplets were depicted as having dark curly hair as well as very dolled-up appearances, bonnets, and lavish pink dresses. In the original film, the triplets were depicted as being blonde, voluptuous, and wearing simple yet revealing dresses.

Gallery[]

• See Beauty and the Beast/Gallery

Trivia[]

• This is the first live-action adaptation of aWalt Disney Animation Studiosmovie that is from theDisney Renaissance.
• The Blu-Ray/DVD features several deleted scenes, all of which are included in the junior novelization.
  • The first is where Gaston is defending Belle from the villagers while she is doing her laundry and teaching a little girl to read (although his main intent is of course to show off for Belle, the villagers nonetheless listen to his directions because of how respected he is).
    • The scene also notes that Gaston's war days were 12 years ago, while the finished film implies that his time in the army was more recent.
  • Many scenes from the mob battle were cut. These include Clothilde trying to suffocate Lumière and Cogsworth coming to his rescue, Lumière saving Plumette from LeFou, LeFou being doused by Monsieur Toilette, and Froufrou luring the Villages Lasses into the kitchen where the stove drenches them with treacle and feathers.
• Cadenzais a new character created for this remake. He is the husband of theWardrobe. He was transformed into a harpsichord, and was separated from his wife while the castle was under its spell.
• This is Kevin Kline's first role for a Disney film since he playedPhoebusinThe Hunchback of Notre Dame(which was directed by the same two directors who previously directed the originalBeauty and the Beast) andThe Hunchback of Notre Dame II.
• LeFouis Disney's first canonical gay character in a feature-length film.
• Bill Condonhad actors singThe Lion King's "Hakuna Matata" at the auditions to measure their singing voices. This was how he chose the final cast for this film.
• This is the fifth of many live-action re-imaginings ofDisneyanimated films released in the 21st century, followingMaleficent,Cinderella,The Jungle Book(Pete's Dragondoesn't count as it is considered a remake of a live-action movie). Following this remake isChristopher Robin,Dumbo,Aladdin,The Lion KingandMulan. Many others are in development, such asCruellaandThe Little Mermaid.
• This is the first live-action remake of a Disney classic to be composed and scored by the same composer as the original animated film (After this remake,Alan Menkenwill also return to score the following remakes forAladdinandThe Little MermaidwhileHans Zimmerwill reprise his scoring forThe Lion King).
  • Additionally, both Alan Menken andDanny Elfmanare the only composers to have scored several Disney live-action adaptations of animated films in a recurring role: (Menken forBeauty and the Beast,Aladdin, andThe Little Mermaid; Elfman forDumbo).
• The teaser includes the opening music from the animated film and a piano sample of thetitle song.
• This is the fourth time that Emma Thompson does a role for a Disney film, after playingCaptain AmeliainTreasure Planet,Queen ElinorinBraveandP. L. TraversinSaving Mr. Banks.
• This film marks Bill Condon's second collaboration with Dan Stevens and Stanley Tucci afterThe Fifth Estate, and with Ian McKellen afterGods and MonstersandMr. Holmes.
• This is Ewan McGregor's second movie-musical that takes place in France, the first beingMoulin Rouge!.
• This is the second movie collaboration betweenEmma Watson,Stanley TucciandKevin KlinefollowingThe Tale of Despereaux. Tucci and Kline previously worked in the 1999 version ofA Midsummer Night's Dream.
  • The Shakespeare play that Belle is reading to the Beast while he recuperates is "A Midsummer Night's Dream".
• This is the fourth movie collaboration betweenEwan McGregorand Stanley Tucci followingJack the Giant Slayer,RobotsandA Life Less Ordinary.
• Ewan McGregor and Emma Thompson previously worked onNanny McPhee and the Big Bang.
• ActorsLuke Evanswho played Gaston andIan McKellenwho played Cogsworth previously collaborated inThe Hobbittrilogy, in which Evans played as a bowman namedBard, while McKellen played as the wizardGandalf; however, their characters did not interact until the finale of the trilogy. Ironically; in the trilogy they played as allies whereas in this film, they played as enemies. In addition, both of the characters (Gaston and Cogsworth) in this film do not interact.
• Actors Stanley Tucci, who played Cadenza, andDan Stevens, who played the Beast, previously worked together in Bill Condon's thriller filmThe Fifth Estate.
• ActressesEmma Watson, who played Belle, andEmma Thompson, who played Mrs. Potts, previously worked in theHarry Potterfranchise asHermione GrangerandSybill Trelawney, respectively.
• The production cultivated a total of 1500 "enchanted" roses for the movie.
• All of the wardrobe was made of sustainable materials that were eco-friendly.
• Interestingly, the actors Emma Watson (Belle), Luke Evans (Gaston), Emma Thompson (Mrs Potts) and Nathan Mack (Chip) share the same birth date, April 15th.
• Emma Watson revealed that she wanted to play Belle instead of Cinderella, explaining that her personality associated much more with the former than the latter.
• The name of the village, Villeneuve, is a reference to Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, who was the original author of the bookBeauty and the Beast(or "La Belle et la Bête"), which was first published in the mid-1700's.
• Unlike the past three live-action remakes (Maleficent,CinderellaandThe Jungle Book), this remake has no characters that are good in their debut, but changed into villains in the remake (King StefanforMaleficent,the Grand DukeforCinderellaandKing LouieforThe Jungle Book). All of the characters that are good in theanimated version of their debutare also good in the remake.
  • Although in a way the Bimbettes could have that role, as they are more malicious than in the animated film.
  • After Maleficent, LeFou is the second original Disney villain redeemed in the live-action adaptation as he had more heroic qualities than his animated counterpart, such as turning on Gaston for his constant mistreatment towards him, something the original LeFou would never do.
  • The Prince's cruel father is introduced in this remake as the root cause behind the events of the film. This makes the third time a Disney villain is a king in the live-action remake series besides King Stefan fromMaleficentand King Louie fromThe Jungle Book.
• The line where Belle suggests that the Prince should grow his beard was originally an idea fromPaige O'Harawhen recording for the animated film. It was eventually cut.
• Cogsworth's line "So much for true love." which he uttered during castle siege scene is the same line uttered byUrsulainThe Little Mermaid.
• Chip's movement particularly the matching saucer which he uses in moving around freely bears a resemblance ofBB-8fromStar Wars: The Force Awakens.
• During Belle and Beast's waltz, the letters WD can be seen in the coat of arms design on the floor of the Ballroom. This is a nod toWalt Disney.
• The padlock on the asylum carriage that Maurice and Belle are imprisoned in has a shape of aHidden Mickeywithin its design.
• The scene in which Belle singed parts of itsreprisein a green meadow hills scenery bears a similarity from the opening title song inThe Sound of Music(1965) which pays an homage to it.
• The scene during the "Gaston" song number, when Gaston chases LeFou while saying about sneaking up with his quiver in the tavern bears a similarity to the opening of the "Let's Get Married" number fromSunshine on Leith(2013). Both are set in taverns and both involve a character chasing another character and then standing up on the bar itself. There's also similarities to the Over and Done With number fromSunshine on Leithand the "Oom-Pah-Pah" number fromOliver!with characters dancing on tavern tables.
• Some of the scenes in the "Be Our Guest" song number that was featured in this film pays an homage of tributes to other musicals such as:
  • At "culinary cabaret" there is a musical snippet of "Wilkommen" from the musicalCabaret.
  • When the feather-dusters create a fountain which Lumière dances underneath it while holding the Bouillon spoon as an umbrella, features the iconic scene fromSingin' in the Rain(1952) in its title song.
  • When Lumière is saying that "life is so unnerving for a servant who's not serving", he performs a shadow dance routine through the use of a handkerchief as a cover in homage to the Cell Block Tango sequence fromChicago(2002), which Bill Condon wrote the screenplay for.
  • The finale contains an Indian-style setpiece (and a brief musical tone), in homage to the musical filmMoulin Rouge!in which Ewan McGregor also starred and which features an Indian number.
• Also unlike the past two live-action remakes of Disney Movies, there is no gender difference in any character in this remake (Jaqis a male mouse inthe animatedCinderellafilm, but is female in thelive-action remake ofCinderellaandKaais a male snake inthe animated version ofThe Jungle Book, but is female inthe live-action remake). Also, the coat rack's gender was not specified in the original.
• Two iconic landmarks from two Disney animated movies made a cameo in this film:
  • The Sultan's PalaceofAgrabahfromAladdinin which the animated version of the Beast makes a cameo appearance as one of Sultan's toys. Appears twice, first in a form of a replica model in the music boxes and second as a posh model featured during the "Be Our Guest" song number.
  • Notre Dame CathedralfromThe Hunchback of Notre Damein which Belle from the animated film makes a cameo appearance.
    • Belle's childhood in Paris can be seen as a nod to her cameo appearance inThe Hunchback of Notre Dameduring the song "Out There".
• Mrs. Potts portrayed by Emma Thompson, also played Mrs. Lovett at the Lincoln Center performance ofSweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Streetin 2014. Her predecessor,Angela Lansburywho portrayed Mrs. Potts in the 1991 animated version played Mrs. Lovett in the original theater production ofSweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetin 1979. Additionally, Thompson and Lansbury also collaborated inNanny McPhee(2005).
• Dan Stevens is the fourth actor from theDownton Abbeydrama series to have a featured role in Disney. His co-stars,Lily JamesandSophie McSherapreviously appeared together in another Disney film,Kenneth Branagh'sCinderellaasCinderellaandDrisella TremainewhileEd Speleersplays as James Harcourt in 2016 Disney filmAlice Through the Looking Glass. Coincidentally, Lily James also worked with Emma Thompson in 2015 drama filmBurnt.
• This is the first Disney live-action remake to gross over $1 billion (Tim Burton'sAlice in Wonderlanddoesn't count, for that film portrays a different version of the story, rather than a direct remake).
• It is also the first movie of2017that grossed over $1 billion, and is the second highest-grossing film of the year in whichStar Wars: The Last Jeditook over as the top highest-grossing film of 2017.
• It is the highest grossing female-led movie domestically for 2017, afterStar Wars: The Last Jediand next toWonder Womanwhich supplanted 1958 as the highest grossing year for female-led movies.
• SinceLucasfilmwas bought by Disney in 2012, this film makes Ewan McGregor his third role in a Disney film after playingthe title characterinValiantfollowed by theStar Warsprequel trilogy (Episodes I to III) and Episode VII (asObi-Wan Kenobi) andChristopher Robin(asthe titular character).
• It is the second-highest grossing major Disney Movie, the first beingFrozen.
• This is Disney's second musical film to be released in 2017 within the same year next toPixar'sCoco.
• Emma Roberts,Kristen Stewart, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, andEmmy Rossumwere considered for the role of Belle, before Emma Watson was cast.
• Emma Watson (Belle) was offered the lead role inLa La Landbut she turned it down because she really wanted to play Belle. Coincidentally,Ryan Goslingwas offered the role of Beast, but turned it down because he'd rather be inLa La Land.
• This is the second time that Josh Gad does a role for a Disney film, after playing Olaf from Frozen.