'Beauty and the Beast' to enchant new generation

In 1991, Disney struck gold with "Beauty and the Beast." The film enchanted audiences and critics alike, and raked in several hundred million dollars along the way, but also upended expectations of what an animated film could be. It was the first-ever animated film to be nominated for a best picture Oscar.

Over a quarter century later, the legacy endures but times have changed, and there's a new "Beauty and the Beast" on the block. Out on March 17, the film is a lavish live-action reimagining of the "tale as old as time" with state-of-the-art CG splendor, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's classic songs and score, and a modern social consciousness.

The film stars "Harry Potter's" Emma Watson as the bookish heroine Belle, who yearns for adventure outside of the confines of her "small provincial town" and "Downton Abbey" alum Dan Stevens as the cursed and cold Beast. Their supporting cast is a coterie of veterans, including Kevin Kline (Maurice), Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts), Ian McKellen (Cogsworth), Audra McDonald (Madame Garderobe), Stanley Tucci (Maestro Cadenza) and Ewan McGregor (Lumiere).

That Disney's specific vision for "Beauty and the Beast" has lived on is no surprise, and its 13-year run on Broadway helped keep it in the cultural consciousness. "It's genuinely romantic, a genuinely beautiful story," Menken said of its lasting appeal.

And then there's the nostalgia aspect. For many, this was a seminal childhood film.

Luke Evans (Gaston) saw it when he was 12, Josh Gad (LeFou) when he was 10, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Plumette) when she was 8. Suffice to say, they all knew the lyrics to the songs before they were cast.

The remake is also part of the Walt Disney Company's ongoing strategy to mine their vaults for...

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