BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Still Holding Box Office Lead

After a record-breaking opening weekend, Disney's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has yet to relinquish its hold on box office lead. In its opening weekend the film made $170 million domestically, an historical record for any March opening. Worldwide the film made $180 million, bringing total opening grosses to $350 million.

In its second weekend, the film is looking at grosses over $500 million worldwide, and according to Variety, it has yet to surrender the lead spot to another film. Opening this weekend was the 90's throwback POWER RANGERS, which took in a hefty $40 million. It was not enough, however, to pass BEAUTY AND THE BEAST's gross of $23.5 million.

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is now in theaters and is a live-action re-telling of the studio's animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. "Beauty and the Beast" is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar® winnerKevin Kline as Maurice, BELLE'S eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston's long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

Directed by Oscar winner Bill Condon based on the 1991 animated film, "Beauty and the Beast" is produced by Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, with eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who won two Academy Awards® (Best Original Score and Best Song) for the 1991 animated film, providing the score, which will include new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as several new songs written by Menken and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice.

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