A tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast, has hit theaters once again. On March 17, Walt Disney Pictures released a retelling of the Disney classic, starring Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, thrilling audiences of all ages.

The screenplay and direction of the film, which is based on the screenplay and direction of the 1991 original movie, portrays the characters and scenery without straying from the plot of the traditional love story. However, due to new advances in technicolor and computer generated imagery and the extraordinary talent of each actor, the film presents certain aspects of the story in a different light while still holding fast to one, essential Disney aspect: magic.

In comparison to other recently released Walt Disney Pictures princess films that were based on the original, animated Disney princess movies, such as Mirror Mirror (March 2012), Maleficent (May 2014), and Cinderella (March 2015), the success of Beauty and the Beast surpasses them all.  

According to Disney, the first teaser trailer of the film was viewed 91.8 million times in the first 24 hours, and according to E!News, it is predicted that Beauty and the Beast will beat the worldwide debuts of previous March releases. This makes the first teaser trailer of Beauty and the Beast the most viewed teaser trailer in history, and it will make the film the top March opener of all time.

In addition to the stunning Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, cast members of the film include Welsh actor Luke Evans as Gaston, the voice of Olaf in Disney’s Frozen, Josh Gad, as Le Fou, the Oscar nominated actor Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, and the Academy Award winner Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts.

Also adding to the marvelous story was the modernized music as well as the new music of the movie which was composed by Alan Menken, who was also the composer for the 1991 film. Impressed by the success of the first Beauty and the Beast, the director of the 2017 film, Bill Condon, agreed to direct a live action version for this very reason. It’s no surprise that the music of the recent film is just as gripping as the music preceding it and that it is now a well received soundtrack on Spotify.  

Beauty and the Beast is simply enchanting, causing many young girls to dream about their own jaw-dropping ball gown, handsome prince, and happy ending. According to recent interviews between members of the cast and various news teams, it’s evident that these members agree as well. Regarding her role in one of the most cherished love stories of all time, Emma Watson stated, “It was pretty amazing… and now my real life will have to try to live up to that ballroom and that dress and Dan Stevens asking me to waltz. What am I going to do?”