Disney has had a lot of success in recent years with remaking/rebooting some of its classic animated movies in a live action setting, the most recent one being Beauty and the Beast. Like Cinderella and The Jungle Book before it, Beauty and the Beast was a relatively straightforward re-telling. Sure there were some differences, but for the most part it hit the same main beats as its animated predecessor, meaning that the movie had a cut and dry happy ending. However, the idea of a Beauty and the Beast 2 has been mention a few times over the last year, including by Belle herself, Emma Watson, who is still interested to see how this story could continue after The Prince has reverted to human form. Watson said:
I'm intrigued to see where the storyline goes after the Beast transforms. Anything could happen.
Although Disney's original Beauty and the Beast was followed by two direct-to-video movies that both took place within the original movie's time period, an actual sequel was never made, so if Disney were to make a such a follow-up for the live action Beauty and the Beast, it would be unexplored territory. Last year, Emma Watson mentioned how she would love to do a sequel where Belle became a teacher and ran a library in the castle for the nearby villagers to visit. There's no guarantee that this story idea will ever come to life, but while being interview by E! before the Golden Globes ceremony this past Sunday, Watson mentioned that she's still interested to see what could happen Belle and The Prince have their happily ever after.
Although there are currently no plans to make a Beauty and the Beast sequel, at one point Disney was kicking around a follow-up story centered on main antagonist Gaston. Just like in the 1991 animated movie, Gaston met his demise in the remake after fatally injuring The Beast. However, according to Beauty and the Beast screenwriter Evan Spiliotopoulos, originally the plan was for Gaston to survive and be turned into a beast by the same enchantress who cursed The Prince. However, that idea was tossed out shortly before Beauty and the Beast started shooting, so it doesn't sound like we'll ever see such a tale told on the big screen. However, given that Disney has announced sequels for Maleficent and The Jungle Book, perhaps one day Beauty and the Beast could receive the same treatment.
Rest assured, if there are any significant updates about a Beauty and the Beast sequel, we here at CinemaBlend will be sure to let you know. In the meantime, Disney is keeping the live action remake/reboot train going this year with Christopher Robin on August 3, and 2019 will bring Dumbo, Aladdin and The Lion King. You can also browse through our Disney movies guide to see what other movies the Mouse House has coming up.
