<P> Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos, and co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films . 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 eighteenth - century fairy tale . The film features an ensemble cast that includes 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 . </P> <P> Principal photography began at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, United Kingdom on May 18, 2015, and ended on August 21 . Beauty and the Beast premiered at Spencer House in London on February 23, 2017, and was 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 . The film received generally favorable reviews from critics, with many praising Watson and Stevens's acting performances as well as the ensemble cast, faithfulness to the original animated film alongside elements from the Broadway musical, visual style, production values, and musical score, though it received criticism for some of the character designs, inconsistent vocal performances, and its excessive similarity to the original . The film grossed over $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the highest - grossing live - action musical film, and making it the second highest - grossing film of 2017, the 10th - highest - ever grossing film in North America and the 12th - 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 Academy Award nominations for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the 90th Academy Awards . </P> <P> In Rococo - era France, a beautiful enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman arrives at a castle during a ball and offers the host, a cruel and selfish prince, a rose in return for shelter from a storm . When he refuses, she reveals her identity . To punish the prince for his selfishness, the enchantress transforms him into a beast and his servants into household objects, then erases the castle, the prince and his servants from the memories of their loved ones . She casts a spell on the rose and warns the prince that the curse will only be broken if he learns to love another, and earn their love in return, before the last petal falls . </P> <P> Some years later, in the small town of Villeneuve, Belle, the book - loving daughter of a music box maker and artist Maurice, dreams of adventure and brushes off advances from Gaston, an arrogant former soldier . On his way to a convention and lost in the forest, Maurice seeks refuge in the Beast's castle, but the Beast imprisons him for stealing a rose from his garden as a gift to Belle . When Maurice's horse returns without him, Belle ventures out in search for him, and finds him locked in the castle dungeon . The Beast agrees to let her take Maurice's place . </P>

Time and place of beauty and the beast