Update– Beauty and the Beast earns $500 million and crosses major milestone at the domestic box office, not accounting inflation. Disney’s 1991 live-action remake passed this milestone Saturday after earnings were totaled, making it the eighth ever to do so.

On opening weekend Beauty and the Beast the movie brought in $174.8 million. Overseas, the film earned $732 million and the worldwide total sits at over $1.2 billion. Currently, it is the tenth highest grossing movie of all time behind “Frozen.”

Other movies to break $500 million domestically are “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”($936.7 million); “Avatar”($760.5 million); “Titanic”($658.7 million); “Jurassic World”($652.3 million); “Marvel’s The Avengers”($623.4 million); “The Dark Knight”($534.9 million); “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”($532.2 million).

Beauty and the Beast in its international market – Japan – where it is has earned $87 million to date.

Original Post–Seeing the live version of Beauty and the Beast was wonderfully engaging. All eyes in the audience  were captivated and could not leave the screen, as if a part of the movie itself.

Beauty and the Beast was released March 17, 2017 and directed by Bill Condon. Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in La Jeune Americaine et les contes marins.

Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film. A co-production between Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films, the film is a live action and computer animation remake of Disney’s 1991 animated film of the same name.

The film features an ensemble cast that includes Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson.

Emma Watson, who plays Belle, a bibliophile and intelligent young woman who sees the beauty and the humanity in the beast, gives a stellar performance. She eventually develops feelings for the Beast. Between her voice, wisdom and outlook on people themselves, it wasn’t hard to fall in love with her character.

Adding to the engagement was the chosen actors. Dan Stevens played his part of the Beast so well, the audience could have even fallen in love with the Beast, instead of the prince!

The film grossed $693 million worldwide on a $160 million production budget, making it the highest grossing film of 2017, including the highest grossing opening weekend of 2017 at $357,026,593.  

While watching, many viewers could have felt sympathetic towards the Beast. Between getting attacked and abandoned, to when Belle decided to care for him, to how protective the Beast when Gaston was in attack mode.

Songs sang by Emma Watson include: Belle, Belle (reprise), Days in the Sun, Something There and How Does A Moment Last Forever (montmartre).

While only two songs were sang by Dan Stevens, Something There & Evermore, he did a great job with the chorus.

2017’s Beauty and the Beast is a must see for all ages.