Walt Disney Animation Studios’ magical classic “Beauty and the Beast” returns to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™, introducing a whole new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. The film captures the fantastic journey of Belle (voice of Paige O’Hara), a bright and beautiful young woman who’s taken prisoner by a hideous beast (voice of Robby Benson) in his castle. Despite her precarious situation, Belle befriends the castle’s enchanted staff—a teapot, a candelabra and a mantel clock, among others—and ultimately learns to see beneath the Beast’s exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince. Featuring unforgettable music by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, and an enormously talented vocal ensemble, “Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated feature to receive a Best Picture nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.   Notes:

• The film was nominated for six Academy Awards®, winning Oscars® for Best Song, by the renowned Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and Best Original Score (Menken).
• “Beauty and the Beast” was the first animated feature to cross the $100 million plateau in its initial release.

• Alan Menken has been nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 15 times with seven wins.  Prior to his death in 1991, Howard Ashman received six Oscar® nominations with two wins.
• Three years after the film’s debut, “Beauty and the Beast” hit Broadway. The musical opened at the Palace Theatre and ran in New York for 5,464 performances between 1994 and 2007, becoming the eighth-longest running production. It has played in 13 countries and 115 cities and continues to enchant audiences worldwide.