Beauty and the Beast Resources

A very kid-friendly site with games, puzzles, and other assorted goodies from the House of Mouse.

And here are the critics' feelings on the matter from Rotten Tomatoes. (Spoiler alert: they dig it.)

Walt Disney may have given up on early plans to do Beauty and the Beast because of this live-action French version directed by Jean Cocteau and released in 1946. Besides actually being in French, it was visually gorgeous, with beautiful black-and-white cinematography and a lot of sleight-of-hand illusions that gave it all a very surreal air. It also presents a more grown-up version of the story, including a slightly sadder ending and a very complex relationship between the two lovers. We're not going to pick a favorite here (both films are awesome), but they do show how it's possible to tell the same story in two very different but equally fulfilling ways.

Never one to pass up an opportunity to make more money, Disney produced a highly successful Broadway version of the story, which makes a lot of sense since the movie itself follows the format of a Broadway musical.

Disney has an unfortunate habit of releasing direct-to-video sequels of their most beloved animated classics, and Beauty and the Beast is no exception. Two of them were produced—The Enchanted Christmas in 1997 and Belle's Magical World in 1998—and even the most hardcore Disney fan has to admit that the quality took a really big tumble.

A modern and not at all bad retake on the story, featuring a modern-day prince (a New York upper-crust type) turned into a monster.

Disney has recently turned to making live-action versions of their classic animated movies. As one of their most beloved classics, Beauty and the Beast is currently on the slate for a 2017 release. It stars Emma "Hermione" Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast.

In the late 1980s, a TV version of the original story hit the airwaves. Set in modern New York, it covers the romance between a beautiful district attorney (Linda Hamilton) and the leonine monster living down in the sewers (Ron Perlman). Before you laugh, we gotta confess: it was pretty cool.

That show did so well that it prompted a new, updated version in 2012.

Here's the script of the film, assembled by a dedicated fan.

MoviePilot has an analysis of the bad guy in Beauty and the Beast.

Here's Janet Maslin's review from The New York Times. Except for thinking that the post-Beast prince was a "paragon of bland handsomeness," she loved everything else about it.

The late legendary film critic sums up his views on the film. He digs it, too.

A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, starting with Walt's original idea. It's very cool, even if it is produced by Disney. You get a great look at the evolution of the characters through the animators' images.

An interview with the voice of Belle.

A quick interview with the two vocal stars of the film.

The late songwriter speaks about his work with Disney.

Here's the cast performing two of the Oscar-nominated songs at the 1992 Academy Awards. See what we meant about Jerry Orbach?

Alan Menken picks up his Oscar for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. Howard Ashman's partner, Bill Lauch, accepts the award in Ashman's name.

Here's the trailer from the original release. The voice-over encourages you to buy the video—it's a limited-time offer!

The original poster for Beauty and the Beast became the video cover as well.

We like it better than the main poster.

The live-action show at Walt Disney World.

Here's an image from the Broadway version of the show. Is it just us, or does the Beast look like he wandered over from the Pirates of the Caribbean set?