Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Belle (Beauty and the Beast) Belle is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' animated feature film "Beauty and the Beast" (1991). Originally voiced by American actress and singer Paige O'Hara, Belle is the non-conforming daughter of an inventor who yearns to abandon her predictable village life in return for adventure. When her father Maurice is imprisoned by a cold-hearted beast, Belle offers him her own freedom in exchange for her father's, and eventually learns to love the Beast despite his unsightly outward appearance. Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg commissioned "Beauty and the Beast" as an animated
Beauty and the Beast (franchise) the castle with Beast). A 1995 article by the LA Times regarding the then-new Broadway musical adaption of the 1991 movie (the first Disney film to be adapted for the stage), asked if the property was "Disney's Newest Franchise". The original Beauty and the Beast film, as well as the stage musical and live-action remake, have received overwhelmingly positive feedback. The various other aspects of the franchise, such as the direct-to-video sequels, have received mixed to negative reviews. Beauty and the Beast (franchise) Beauty and the Beast is a Disney media franchise comprising a film series and additional merchandise. The