Beauty and the Beast (2017 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American movie musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films,[1][7] the film is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1991 animated film of the same name, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 1756 version of the fairy tale.[8] It features an ensemble and choir cast including Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the eponymous characters, with Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson in supporting roles.[9]
A live-action Beauty and the Beast remake was first announced in April 2014, with Condon hired to direct it; Watson, Stevens, Evans, and the rest of the cast signed on between January and April 2015. Principal photography lasted from May to August 2015, taking place primarily at Shepperton Studios in England. With an estimated budget of around $255 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made.
Beauty and the Beast premiered at Spencer House in London on February 23, 2017, and was theatrically released in the United States in standard, Disney Digital 3-D, RealD 3D, IMAX, and IMAX 3D formats, along with Dolby Cinema on March 17, 2017.[10] The film received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising its faithfulness to the original animated film, as well as elements from the Broadway musical, performances of the cast (particularly Watson and Stevens), visual style, musical score, songs, costume design, and production values, though criticism was drawn towards some of the character designs and its excessive similarity to the original.[11][12] It grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing live-action musical film, making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2017 (after Star Wars: The Last Jedi), and the tenth-highest-grossing film of all time. The film received four nominations at the 23rd Critics’ Choice Awards and two nominations at the 71st British Academy Film Awards. It also received nominations for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the 90th Academy Awards. A spin-off/prequel television series, Little Town, is in development.
