The success of "Beauty and the Beast" critically and financially all but guarantees that a sequel is happening. While Disney has yet to confirm anything, Emma Watson -- who gave life to Belle on the big screen -- has recently expressed interest in revisiting the story.
Speaking at the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, Watson said she is curious how the story could continue after Beast (Dan Stevens) has reverted to his human form: "I'm intrigued to see where the storyline goes after the Beast transforms. Anything could happen."
This is not the first time the actress hinted at a potential sequel. Last year, she mentioned how she would like to reprise her role for a second installment where Belle became a teacher and ran a library for the nearby villagers to visit.
It is unclear whether Disney has plans of making "Beauty and the Beast 2," but if it does, Cinema Blend says it will be an unexplored territory. Although two direct-to-video movies were produced after the original, both taking place within the 1991 movie's time period, Disney never made an actual sequel.
At one point, the Mouse House was said to be mulling on the idea of making one, with the live-action remake laying groundwork for the follow-up that would center on the villainous Gaston (Luke Evans). As Beauty and the Beast screenwriter Evan Spiliotopoulos explained: "The idea was not that he died in the end, but the enchantress would come and he would be cursed as the new beast." Disney reportedly changed course at the 11th hour and stuck to the classic ending of the story.
Regardless of the potential "Beauty and the Beast" sequel, there will not be less live-action remakes from the studio in the coming years. Currently in development are a number of classic fairytales that will soon come to the big screen including "Dumbo," "Aladdin," "Mulan," and "The Little Mermaid." Sequels for "Maleficent" and "The Jungle Book" are in the works, too.
