A version of this story about “Belle” first appeared in the special animation section of Awards Preview issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
The “Beauty and the Beast” story seems particularly suited for animation, and for reinvention.
The tale of a forbidden love between a virtuous human woman and a monster is full of opportunities that really blossom in animation — wild transformations, magical objects and the exaggerated visual dramatization of such an unlikely romance. Thirty years after Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” enchanted audiences (and became the first animated feature ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar), there’s a new and very different version of the story ready to steal your heart.