Beauty and the Beast Discussion

[Vlad]

Absolutely.

[Escapay]

Meanwhile, I was thinking, do you guys think that maybe Disney will do another restoration for Beauty and the Beast as they did with Cinderella? Give it the proper presentation it deserves. Do one for the original theatrical version, keep it the same as in 1991, no changes.

They already did back in 2016. The Digital Cinema Package (or DCP) that was used for theatrical screenings for the 25th anniversary and repertory showings (Cinemark Theatre's three-year "Disney Screen" programming block, for example) is the perfect example of how the film should look. To cite myself from seven years ago:

And, by some miracle, they screened a version of the film that most accurately represented what viewers saw in 1991. Natural, earthy colors. Beast stuttering, "You wan-you wanna stay in the tower?" The correct background for the closing shot of "Something There." No "Human Again," so all the backgrounds still looked dirty and unkempt. Belle's reflection in the glass was gone. And Cogsworth had that muscle spasm as he proclaims "Why?" This was the Beauty and the Beast I grew up with. And at last, I could see it the way it was meant to be seen.

Strangely, it was not used at all for the 2016 Signature Collection Blu-Ray, nor for the 4K Ultra HD disc in 2020, the 30th Anniversary Edition DMC Blu-Ray in 2021, or the Disney100 4K Steelbook in 2023. Even stranger still, when Disney put the film back in theatres October 2023 as part of the Disney100 reissue series, it also used that same 2016 DCP. So clearly it still exists, just not on any of the home media releases that could have benefited from it.

Personally, I'd want them to just go back to the original 35mm IB Tech prints from 1991 and scan those in 4K rather than rebuild the film from scratch through all its digital departments. That would be the best way to get the "as seen in 1991" quality.

Here's hoping 2026 sees a new 35th Anniversary Edition 4K Ultra HD release that uses the 2016 DCP as its source, or even a from-the-ground-up digital recomposition that's faithful to the original theatrical release. My ideal home media release for the film would still contain multiple versions of the film (Work in Progress from the actual 35mm print used at New York Film Festival, Original Theatrical from a 35mm IB Tech print, Original Theatrical from the CAPS files, Special Edition from the CAPS files, and the 3-D conversion) just to represent its long and varied release history, but I doubt that would happen.

Alby

[Disney Duster]

I agree, Vlad and Albert.

[Disney's Divinity]

I do definitely hope that will happen for B&tB (or a release of the 2016 version Escapay talked about).

Interestingly, I just picked up another copy of B&tB a couple of weeks ago. Where the DMC is closing, I was picking up exclusives and things I've sort of put off for years, and got the 30th anniversary cover version with the Paige O'Hara artwork. Other than Beast (whose eyes look a little...off--but I appreciate that character must've been difficult to draw), I thought it was too nice to pass over. I think it's better than the TLM artwork O'Hara made some years ago, I remember I passed on that one since I'd already got the Target Digibook for TLM and it had been a little higher than I'd expected. I don't know how I've ended up with as many copies of B&tB as I have since it's more in the #12-15 range for me as far as DACs. I don't regret it though, since the film is a masterpiece after all, I just think it's sort of funny it almost competes with TLM for how many copies I have. And it was the first DVD I ever bought back (the Platinum) and then the first Blu-ray I ever bought (the Diamond).

[Vlad]

For me, it was the first VHS I ever had and also, the first DVD, along with Belle's Magical World.

[Marce82]

Oh, Escapay, this is VERY interesting to me!

I went to one of the 25th anniversary screenings... I assumed they were playing the film off of a 35mm print in the theater, not a DCP. But what do I know?? I'm sure you are right.
As for the 2023 re-issue (which I wasn't even aware of)... are you sure they used the 2016 DCP?? Did you see it in theaters?

I definitely wish they'd make a blu ray out of that version... though it could use a little color correcting: the version I saw at the 25th anniversary event had a blueish tint to the whole thing. Still much better than the current blu ray!