Beauty and the Beast

Belle is a curious and strong willed village girl who ventures toward a distant castle and the mysterious prince who lives there. A curse has warped him into a fearsome creature and reshaped life around the manor with magic and danger. When Belle agrees to take her father's place, she steps into a world of enchanted objects, unseen loyalties, and a fragile bond forming between her and the Beast. The castle becomes a stage for moments of humor, peril, and quiet acts of kindness that challenge both of them to reconsider what true beauty means. The film keeps its romance rooted in personal growth, compassion, and the idea that love can grow from understanding rather than looks and truth today.

Directed by Bill Condon, this live action reinvention of an animated classic updates the music, visuals and storytelling for modern audiences. It draws on the Disney source material and features Emma Watson as Belle with Dan Stevens as the Beast.

The film proved a blockbuster success, grossing about 1.26 billion dollars worldwide and becoming truly one of the highest grossing live action adaptations. It connected with families around the globe, helping to cement the studio's approach to big scale musical fantasies.

Musically and visually the film left a mark with the Be Our Guest sequence and the standout Beauty and the Beast song that echo in popular culture. Emma Watsons Belle emerged as a defining modern princess, and the lavish production spurred curiosity about live action fairy tale retellings across generations.

Critical response was mixed to positive, with praise for performances and scale while some found the retelling safe. Audiences gave the film a 6.969 out of 10 from about 15,864 votes, underscoring a solid but not universal affection for the romance and message that resonates with families today everywhere.