What We Learned About 'Beauty and the Beast' At Its 25th Academy Reunion 

Recent News Interviews Acquisitions Box Office Television Video

Box Office Home Coming Soon Find a Film Home Entertainment In Theaters Now Playing: Movies on Demand Reviews Video on Demand

Oscar Predictions Emmy Predictions Awards Calendar For Your Consideration Column Awards Spotlight

All TV Coverage News Reviews Features Videos Interviews

Thompson on Hollywood The Playlist Shadow and Act Criticwire Animation Scoop /Bent Peter Bogdanovich Women and Hollywood Leonard Maltin Press Play SydneysBuzz

Filmmaker Toolkit Project of the Day Project of the Week Project of the Year

Reviews Box Office Interviews Festivals Criticwire Sundance Videos Contact Us

Angela Lansbury led a cast and crew Disney celebration Monday night at the Academy honoring the first animated best picture nominee.

Broadway came to Disney in spectacular fashion with "Beauty and the Beast" in 1991, led by the brilliant songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, marking the first best picture nom for an animated feature. Inspired by Ashman\'s lyrical and storytelling brilliance, Disney came of age during its second renaissance with a more mature, adult fairy tale (ultimately winning two Oscars for score and best song).

Here\'s what we learned Monday night at the Academy\'s Samuel Goldwyn Theater prior to screening a 70mm theatrical release print from the Academy Film Archive.

Mark Henn, the supervising animator for Belle (Paige O\'Hara), said the most unique aspect was making her the oldest leading lady in Disney\'s esteemed line-up. She was more mature, she knew her mind, and "she wasn\'t looking for a \'whole new world.\'" She was devoted to her eccentric father and she didn\'t need a prince charming to make her life complete.

Plus, her love story with the Beast (Robby Benson) developed gradually and believably.

READ MORE: Bill Condon Directing Disney\'s Live-Action \'Beauty And The Beast\'

Supervising animator Glen Keane roamed the London Zoo and kept a sketch book, taking inspiration from a melancholy gorilla named Caesar; and Benson instantly realized that this was not a cartoon and that he could convey an honesty in his vocal performance, making full use of the Walkman during his first recording session to compress and amplify the sound.

Brenda Chapman, the key story artist, tapped into the romantic onscreen chemistry between Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn for Belle and the Beast. "He was like a big baby," she said. But while Ashman immediately took to her idea, Chapman fumbled her pitch to Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg until Ashman assured him that it would work. 

Roger Allers, the story supervisor, said they achieved a new kind of lingering environment at Disney with hybrid experimentation. This marked the second feature to use CAPS (Computer Animation Production System), the digital scanning, ink, paint and compositing system developed by Pixar, to simulate depth and swirling camera for splendor and intimacy.

Ashman and Menken cold-called the veteran actress in Los Angeles and pitched her on playing the maternal Mrs. Potts by playing their rock-laden theme song. Lansbury was enticed but had her own vision for performing the song. However, her flight from Los Angeles to New York to record it live with the New York Phil was delayed as a result of a bomb scare. But despite a layover in Vegas, Lansbury made it in time and insisted on recording as scheduled. She got it on the first try.

David Ogden Stiers recalled tapping his own personal experience when offering romantic advice on how to best woo Belle: "Flowers, chocolates, promises you never intend to keep."

READ MORE: Tribeca: Talking \'The Ticket\' With Star Dan Stevens, In the Oddest of All Interview Spaces

Andreas Deja, the supervising animator for Gaston (Richard White), admitted that he had trouble with Katzenberg\'s insistence on making the villain supremely handsome. But once Katzenberg stressed the "never judge a book by its cover" theme, Deja had his eureka moment.

So here we are, 25 years later, with Disney enjoying its third renaissance, and coming full circle with next year\'s live-action adaptation of the Broadway musical version of  "Beauty and the Beast" starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens and directed by Bill Condon ("Chicago").

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Festivals newsletter here.

Win an Apple TV set before it's released! in News - Indiewire on LockerDome

Summer TV Preview 2016: 19 Drama Series We Can't Wait to See

Cannes: French Comedian Makes Woody Allen Rape Joke During Opening Ceremony

'High-Rise' Director Ben Wheatley On Film Critcs, That 'Batman V Superman' Backlash and #OscarsSoWhite

Margot Robbie Hoping to Find More Roles Where Her 'Relationship With a Male Character' Isn't The Focal Point

Ronan Farrow Slams Father Woody Allen & Hollywood 'Silence' To Sexual Abuse Allegations

Review: 'New Girl' Just Ended, Whether Fox Knows It or Not

Review: 'Alice Through The Looking Glass' Is Even Worse Than The First

James Franco's Movie Column: Colin Farrell is Awesome in 'The Lobster'

Cannes Review: Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg Freshen a Familiar Woody Allen Formula in 'Cafe Society'

Kevin Smith Directed An Amazing 'The Flash' Episode This Week

Rob Lowe on 'The Grinder' Finale, The Odds For Renewal and His Pitch for Season 2

#StarringJohnCho Tackles Whitewashing With Photoshopped Posters of the 'Harold & Kumar' Star

'Toni Erdmann' Exclusive Trailer: A Father Pulls A Series of Pranks To Reconnect With His Adult Daughter

'Mr. Robot' Viral Video: President Obama Speaks Out Against Our Hero Hackers

'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee' Parodies ‘F for Fake’ With Patton Oswalt For Crisis Pregnancy Center Clip

Review: 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Is One of the Most Audacious Superhero Movies Ever Made

Emma Thompson Slams Young, Social Media-Friendly Talent Who 'Can’t Act'

Sitemap About Team Advertise SnagFilms Privacy Terms of Service Contact Us