Synopsis: Set Contains:The most interesting of the extras on this multi-disc set is the storyboard for the first version of the film. British commercial animator Richard Purdum was originally slated to direct Beauty and the Beast: he envisioned a darker retelling of the story with no songs. The storyboards and scratch voice track for this version offer rare insights into the creation of an animated feature–including the wrong turns. Although the artists boarded nearly a quarter of the film, the viewer sees very little of Beauty and nothing of the Beast; too much time is spent on Beauty’s well-intentioned father, his comic horse, and her mean aunt. It’s easy to see why Jeffrey Katzenberg rejected this version and called in Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Unfortunately the discs have needlessly fussy, uncooperative menus: why list features on one disc that appear on another? –Charles SolomonProduct DescriptionOne of the most acclaimed and treasured animated films of all time is about to sweep you off your feet. Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who’s been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all — that true beauty comes from within. An all-new digital restoration and exciting new bonus features make this Special Edition more magical than ever. Be our guest and let the music you’ll never forget and the characters who will fill your heart cast a shimmering spell like never before.|It took more than 600 animators, artists, and technicians three and a half years to complete the project.|BEAUTY is the first animated Disney feature scripted by a woman, Linda Woolverton.|The film marked the first time each animator was credited on screen specifically for the character he or she brought to life.|Disney’s animation department won a Scientific and Technical Academy Award for the design and development of the Computer Animated Production System used to make the film.|The style of illustration was inspired by French painters Fragonard and Boucher.