Beauty and the Beast (franchise) song "A Change in Me" was kept in the production after being written for Toni Braxton during her stint as Belle. The Beauty and the Beast universe encompasses two main locations: a French village and a castle, which are linked by woods. As the three spin-off films all take place within the time period of the original film, the plot of the "Beauty and the Beast" franchise is encompassed in the original 1991 film, which the other films serving to give added insight to certain parts of the story that were skimmed over (such as when Belle is living in
Beauty and the Beast (2017 film) "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story"). "Beauty and the Beast" received generally positive reviews, with praise for its ensemble cast, visuals, production values, musical score, songs, and faithfulness to the original film with a few elements of the Broadway musical version, while the designs of the Beast and the servants' household object forms received mixed reviews. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71% based on 336 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "With an enchanting cast, beautifully crafted songs, and a painterly eye for detail, "Beauty and the