Disney's live-action film of Beauty and the Beast has been given a US release date two years from now for March 17 2017. This news comes between the theatrical release of their live-action film Cinderella which opened to US audiences last Friday 13th March and is awaiting its UK release date of 27th March.

Beauty and the Beast live-action film is so far lined up to star Emma Watson as Belle along side Dan Stevens as the Beast. The cast also includes Luke Evans as Gaston, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Josh Gad as Gaston's sidekick Le Fou, and Kevin Kline as Belle's father Maurice.

The film will feature original songs as well as new songs which will be written and scored by Alan Menken, who in 1992 won Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for the animated film.

The original animated film of Beauty and the Beast (1991) has so far seen three theatrical releases, its initial release, IMAX re-release and 3D re-release, a Broadway adaptation, Disney On Ice show, a live-action TV series Sing Me a Story with Belle, and two animated film sequels Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997) and Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World (1998).