This weekend, Disney’s Cinderella opened as the No. 1 movie at the North American box office, earning $67.9 million for the sixth-largest March opening in history. The live-action fairy tale charmed audiences around the globe as well, earning $63.7 million from international markets for a global take of $131.6 million. The film posted a stellar $25 million debut in China, the highest March opening of all time in that country, and was the No. 1 film of the weekend in several other markets including Mexico, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
This morning, on the glass-slippered heels of Cinderella’s success, The Walt Disney Studios announced that a new live-action Beauty and the Beast will arrive in theaters in 3-D on March 17, 2017. The 3-D retelling, which will bring the beloved tale to life with the help of some transformative CG magic, will star Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as Belle and the Beast/Prince, respectively. Luke Evans will play the role of Gaston, Emma Thompson will play Mrs. Potts, and Kevin Kline has joined the cast as Belle’s father, Maurice. The new film will feature new recordings of songs from the 1991 animated classic, with the great Alan Menken—who won two Academy Awards® for the original music—returning to compose the score, including writing several new songs with Tim Rice.