Beauty and the Beast /

Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated romantic fantasy musical film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The story is based on the fairy tale La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont and uses some ideas from the 1946 film of the same name. It centers on a prince who is transformed into a Beast and a young woman named Belle whom he imprisons in his castle. To become a prince again, the Beast must love Belle and win her love in return. It is the 30th animated film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third animated feature released during a period known as the "Disney Renaissance", which began in 1989 with The Little Mermaid and ended in 1999 with Tarzan. It is widely considered Disney's greatest animated film and the greatest in the Renaissance era. Many animated films following its release have been influenced by its blending of traditional animation and computer generated imagery.