''Beastly'' is a 2011 American
romantic fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
loosely based on
Alex Flinn's
2007 novel of the same name.
It is a retelling of the fairytale ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...
'' and is set in modern-day
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The film was written and directed by
Daniel Barnz
Daniel Barnz (born 1970) is an American screenwriter and director.
Life and career
Barnz was born Daniel Bernstein in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania,Champagne, Christine"10 Directors to Watch: Daniel Barnz" ''Variety (magazine), Variety'', 16 January 2 ...
and stars
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is a British actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of ''Stormbreaker''. Pettyfer was nominated ...
and
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens (; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in ''Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006 ...
.
Plot
Kyle Kingson (
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is a British actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of ''Stormbreaker''. Pettyfer was nominated ...
) is the arrogant and vain son of news anchor Rob Kingson (
Peter Krause
Peter William Krause (; born August 12, 1965) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has played lead roles in multiple television series, portraying Casey McCall on '' Sports Night'' (1998–2000), Nate Fisher on '' Six Feet Under'' ( ...
). Kyle bullies Kendra Hilferty (
Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, equestrian, and former actress. She began her acting career nine months after her birth, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Ashley Olsen ...
), not knowing she is a witch; she transforms him into a hairless, scarred, heavily tattooed shell of his former self. If Kyle does not find someone who loves him by the next spring, he will stay altered permanently. Kyle is taken to live in a private house with their maid Zola Davies (
LisaGay Hamilton
LisaGay Hamilton (born March 25, 1964) is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the ABC legal drama ''The Practice'' (1997–2003). ...
) and the blind tutor Will (
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
). Both are comforts to Kyle when his father, unable to deal with his transformation, has abandoned him.
As spring nears, Kyle finds himself infatuated with Lindy Taylor (
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens (; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in ''Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006 ...
), a former classmate he had avoided. He rescues her drug-addicted father from two dealers, shooting one; the other vows to kill Lindy. Kyle persuades Lindy's father (Roc Lafortune) to allow her to move in with him. At first, Kyle uses a false identity and introduces himself as Hunter. He also refuses to see Lindy and hides from her, which angers her to the point that she stops speaking to him. Kyle eventually reveals his face and the two begin to warm up to each other. Kyle writes a letter professing his love for Lindy but does not give it to her for fear of rejection. He visits Kendra to plead for more time; she refuses, but agrees to restore Will's vision and grant green cards to Zola's three children in Jamaica if he gets Lindy to fall in love with him.
The surviving drug dealer lands in jail. Kyle and Lindy visit Lindy's hospitalized father. He gives her the letter but regrets it when she tells him she considers him a good friend. Lindy calls him after reading the letter, but a heartbroken Kyle does not answer the phone. Persuaded by Will and Zola, Kyle goes to meet Lindy one last time before she leaves on a school trip to
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...
. Kyle tells her to go, but as she leaves, Lindy tells him that she loves him, breaking the curse. Kyle's former self is restored but Lindy does not recognize him and tries to call Hunter but Kyle's phone rings instead. When Lindy realizes what happened, the two share a passionate kiss on the side of the street.
After the curse is lifted, Will wakes up with the ability to see and Zola receives the green cards. Kendra approaches Rob Kingson's office as a new intern, implying that she will test Rob like she did Kyle.
An alternate ending was filmed where Lindy gets kidnapped by the drug dealer, and Kyle gets shot while in the process of saving her. As he lies injured in her arms, she confesses her love to him, breaking the curse in a fashion more closely based on the book and the original Beauty and the Beast story. This ending was not used in the official release, but it was used in the official video game for the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
.
Cast
*
Alex Pettyfer
Alexander Richard Pettyfer (born 10 April 1990) is a British actor and model. He appeared in school plays and on television before being cast as Alex Rider, the main character in the 2006 film version of ''Stormbreaker''. Pettyfer was nominated ...
as Kyle Kingson
*
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa Anne Hudgens (; born December 14, 1988) is an American actress and singer. After making her feature film debut in ''Thirteen'' (2003), Hudgens rose to fame portraying Gabriella Montez in the ''High School Musical'' film series (2006 ...
as Lindy Taylor
*
Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen (born June 13, 1986) is an American businesswoman, fashion designer, equestrian, and former actress. She began her acting career nine months after her birth, sharing the role of Michelle Tanner with her twin sister Ashley Olsen ...
as Kendra Hilferty
[(June 3, 2009)]
*
Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received multiple accolades throughout ...
as Will Fratalli
*
LisaGay Hamilton
LisaGay Hamilton (born March 25, 1964) is an American actress who has portrayed roles in films, television, and on stage. She is best known for her role as secretary/lawyer Rebecca Washington on the ABC legal drama ''The Practice'' (1997–2003). ...
as Zola Davies
*
Peter Krause
Peter William Krause (; born August 12, 1965) is an American actor, director, and producer. He has played lead roles in multiple television series, portraying Casey McCall on '' Sports Night'' (1998–2000), Nate Fisher on '' Six Feet Under'' ( ...
as Rob Kingson
*
Dakota Johnson
Dakota Mayi Johnson (born October 4, 1989) is an American actress. The daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith, she made her film debut at age ten with a minor role in the dark comedy film ''Crazy in Alabama'' (1999) with her mothe ...
as Sloan Hagen
*
Erik Knudsen
Erik Knudsen (born March 25, 1988) is a Canadian actor. He is known for portraying Daniel Matthews in '' Saw II'', Alec Sadler in '' Continuum'' and Dale Turner in the CBS series ''Jericho''.
Life and career
Knudsen was born on March 25, 1988 ...
as Trey Madison
*
Rhiannon Moller-Trotter
Rhiannon is a major figure in the Mabinogi, the medieval Welsh story collection. She appears mainly in the First Branch of the Mabinogi, and again in the Third Branch. She is a strong-minded Otherworld woman, who chooses Pwyll, prince of Dyfe ...
as Halloween Partygoer
*
Regina King
Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress and director. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine named her one ...
as Letisha
*David Francis as Dr. Davis
* Brian Eastman as Dan Granburg
* Gio Perez as Victor Barrel
* Roc Lafortune as Lindy's father
Production
Development
The film is based on Alex Flinn's 2007 supernatural romance novel ''
Beastly
''Beastly'' is a 2007 novel by Alex Flinn. It is a retelling of the fairytale ''Beauty and the Beast'' set in modern-day New York City from the view of the beast. Flinn researched many versions of the ''Beauty and the Beast'' story to write her ...
'', and has been in production since
CBS Films
CBS Films Inc. was an American film production and distribution company founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of CBS Corporation and was considered a mini-major studio up until 2019.
CBS Films originally was planned to distribute, develop and prod ...
bought the rights in December 2007. In February 2009, it was announced by Amy Baer, President and CEO of CBS Films, that Daniel Barnz would direct the film and write the screenplay.
Susan Cartsonis produced the film through
Storefront Films and
Roz Weisberg co-produced it. Initially, the executives wanted a late 2008 theatrical release; however, the
WGA strike prevented that possibility.
Baer expressed excitement about the director, saying, "Daniel's fresh vision makes him one of the most exciting directors of his generation. We are thrilled to partner with him as he brings his unique voice to arguably the most universally resonant myth in storytelling."
Barnz anticipated bringing an indie sensibility to Flinn's story. "It's a very commercial idea that I get to tell in a highly artistic fashion," he said. Barnz also said; "There was this sort of hyper-modern version of this story and that it was told from his perspective, which we'd never seen before and thematically, because it's all about beauty and how you look and inner beauty that this was such a great story set in the teenage world and for teenagers, because it has such a great message to it".
Barnz's script was inspired by the film ''
Say Anything...''.
He "immediately fell for it, because
esaw that there was an amazing opportunity to tell a modern version of this fairytale and
eloved the idea of it."
Barnz was happy that the story would be told from the beast's perspective and that it focused more on the romance elements than the supernatural.
Design
In his role as Hunter, Pettyfer's appearance was altered with heavy makeup and prosthetics. Hunter's appearance differs from the description in the novel; he has no fur or fangs. Pettyfer was pleased with the revision; he said, "I was very happy to know I wasn't going to be furry. Question is, were you happy I wasn't furry? Well, I think the audience will be happy. This beast make-up is phenomenal. You're talking to someone who is a fanatic about it
rosthetics and movie make-upand I've never seen anything that looks remotely similar to this."
The makeup consisted of 67 pieces; seven pieces went on his head and 60 tattoos and individual scars were applied after the full-body makeup. The facial prosthetics and tattoos took almost three hours to apply and the full body makeup took the artists six hours to finish.
About his transformation, Pettyfer said, "It really affected me because as soon as I shaved my head it kind of put me in this weird place, the same place
yle is in after his transformationwhich really helped me with the role a lot. But at the same time, it kind of is a challenge because you are fighting personally with your own problems off set, but then onset you have a great resource to go to."
Tony Gardner and Alterian, Inc. designed and created the prosthetics and tattoos. Jamie Kelman handled Pettyfer's daily makeup application. Hudgens described the beast's look as "crazy" and that it moved her in "a really weird and peculiar way." Several days before the announced production date, several members of the cast were photographed en route to a wardrobe studio for fittings. The costumes and clothing used in the film were designed by
Suttirat Anne Larlarb
Suttirat Anne Larlarb (born 1971)
is an American costume designer, art director and production designer.
Life
Larlarb's parents are both Thai, and came to the US as Fulbright scholars. Her father went on to become a heart surgeon.
Larlarb was ...
.
Filming
''Beastly'' was one of the first feature films to be produced and distributed by CBS Films; it had a budget of $17 million for filming and marketing. Production began on June 13, 2009, in
Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pea ...
, Canada and ended in August that year.
The first clip of the official ''Beastly'' trailer was filmed in Chicago, and used
Walter Payton College Prep High School
Walter Payton College Preparatory High School (WPCP) is a public 4–year magnet high school located in the Old Town neighborhood on the near-north side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 2000, Payton is operated by the Chicago Public ...
as Buckston Academy High School. Old Montreal and Laval were used as filming locations, and
Mount Royal Park
Mount Royal (french: link=no, Mont Royal, ) is a large intrusive rock hill or small mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The best-known hypothesis for the origin of the name Montreal is the hi ...
in Montreal served as
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
in New York and other outdoor locations.
Local Montreal diner Place Milton was also used as a location, and was renamed Cafe Santiago for the film. Filming was completed in 45 days.
The Quebec government announced on June 12, 2009, that it would increase its tax credit for foreign TV and film producers filming there from 25% of labor expenses to 25% of the entire budget of productions shot there. The producers of ''Beastly'' chose to film in Montreal before the announcement of tax-paying increase.
Hudgens left for Montreal to film following the
MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie & TV Awards (formerly the MTV Movie Awards) is a film and television awards show presented annually on MTV. The first MTV Movie Awards were presented in 1992. The ceremony was renamed the MTV Movie & TV Awards for its 26th editi ...
. "I'm laid-back about it," she said. On June 4, 2009, Hudgens and Pettyfer arrived in Montreal. Neil Patrick Harris also went to Montreal to shoot his scenes, and concurrently for his lead role in an independent film. Hudgens was the first to finish shooting in order to promote the film ''
Bandslam
''Bandslam'' is a 2009 American musical romantic comedy drama film directed by Todd Graff who co-wrote the screenplay with Josh A. Cagan. The film stars Aly Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Porter, Ryan Donowho, and ...
''. Re-shoots were conducted in 2010 due to the delays to the film's release and in order to "emphasize the romantic relationship between the two main characters".
Music and soundtrack
The
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
was composed by
Marcelo Zarvos
Marcelo Uchoa Zarvos is a Brazilian pianist and composer.
Life and career
Zarvos was born in São Paulo. He began in classical music in his teens and studied at the Berklee College of Music.
He is more known for jazz and had success with the al ...
. Songs by Swedish indie band ''
Marching Band
A marching band is a group of instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands wear a uniform, ofte ...
'' were featured in the film. Also featured was
Natalia Kills
Natalia Noemi "Teddy" Sinclair (née Cappuccini; born 15 August 1986), is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She has recorded music under various aliases, most famously as Natalia Kills and Verbalicious. She is currently the lead vocali ...
' second single, "Wonderland". The film's soundtrack was released on March 1, 2011, and the score album was released on March 15, 2011; both albums were released by
Lakeshore Records
Lakeshore Entertainment Group, LLC is an American independent film production, finance, and former international sales and distribution company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum (1933–2002). Lakeshore Entertainment is headquart ...
.
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack:
#
On the Radio -
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor (russian: Регинa Ильинична Спектор, ; born February 18, 1980) is a Russian–born American singer, songwriter, and pianist.
After self-releasing her first three records and gaining popularity in ...
(3:21)
# Vanity - Hanover Swain (2:57) (Movie Version performed by Lady Gaga)
# Garden of Exile -
Toby Martin
Toby Martin (born 5 August 1975), is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, academic, and lecturer at University of Huddersfield UK. Martin is the grandson of Hungarian-born Australian poet David Martin and has a PhD in the history of Austra ...
(4:12)
# Get Free -
The Vines (2:04)
#
Boys and Girls -
Pixie Lott
Victoria Louise Lott (born 12 January 1991), better known by her stage name Pixie Lott, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut album, '' Turn It Up'', released in September 2009, reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and sold ove ...
(3:07)
# Crashing -
Gersey
Gersey is an Australian rock band based in Melbourne, which formed in 1997. Since its debut album, the band has featured the core membership of Craig Jackson (vocals, bass), Daryl Bradie (guitar), Matt Davis (guitar) & Danny Tulen (drums).
Hist ...
(5:09)
# Transatlanticism -
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington, in 1997. The band is currently composed of Ben Gibbard (vocals, guitar, piano), Nick Harmer (bass), Dave Depper (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Zac Rae (keyboar ...
(7:51)
# Today Is the Day -
Tim Myers
Tim Myers (born November 30, 1984) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer born in Orange, California. He's had over 600 synchs in TV/Film and commercials and has written and produced songs for Aloe Blacc, Capital Citi ...
(4:29)
# The Long Goodbye -
Army Navy (4:35)
# Breathe In, Breathe Out -
Mat Kearney
Mathew William Kearney (; born December 1, 1978) is an American musician born in Eugene, Oregon, and based in Nashville, Tennessee. So far, he has a total of five top 20 hits on the Adult Top 40 Chart.
''Just Kids'' was released on February 24 ...
(3:42)
# Heaven -
Fire Theft (4:12)
#
Broken Arrow - Pixie Lott (3:42)
# Be Mine -
Kristina & The Dolls (3:00)
# Supa Luv A-Rex Remix -
Teen Top
Teen Top () is a South Korean boy band formed by TOP Media in 2010. The group is composed of five members: C.A.P, Chunji, Niel, Ricky and Changjo. Originally a six-piece group with L.Joe, the former member had filed for contract termination in ...
(Used for the movie's promotion throughout Asia)
Original Motion Picture Score Soundtrack:
# The Thinking Thing Killed (1:06)
# Lake House (2:51)
# Jujyfruits (1:06)
# The Poem (2:54)
# High School (:53)
# It's Always Been Me (5:23)
# Elephant Story (1:40)
# Building The Greenhouse (:53)
# Drive To The Station (1:48)
# The Curse Part 1 (1:53)
# Lindy's Picture (2:21)
# The Kiss (3:39)
# Hunter Rescues Lindy (4:00)
# Food And Gifts (1:57)
# Lindy's In Trouble (4:22)
# The Curse Part 2 (2:24)
# Hunter And Zola Talk (1:29)
# Finale (3:26)
Marketing
The first
teaser trailer
A teaser (or more specifically teaser trailer) is a mini- trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release move or television show advertisement. Short in length, te ...
was released on November 20, 2009, during the previews of ''
The Twilight Saga: New Moon''. The 23-second teaser received comments from commercial websites. Annie Barrett of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'' wrote, "Alex Pettyfer is giving off more of a (Disney pretty-boy) Gaston vibe than the Beast here." A holographic poster was displayed in selected theaters. The first official poster was then released in early April 2010. A featurette video which includes clips from the film, was released in early February 2010. The full-length trailer premiered on April 19, 2010. A new trailer, featuring a new logo, the new release date and the song "Broken Arrow" by Pixie Lott, was released in late 2010.
Merchandising
CBS Films announced that clothing and accessories, social expressions and games would be produced to market the film. Among the products were proprietary and co-branded games and puzzles by Fundex; figures and
bobblehead
A bobblehead, also known by common silly nicknames such as nodder, wobbler, or wacky wobbler, is a type of small collectible action figure. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to ...
s worldwide by
Bif Bang Pow!; costumes, masks and accessories for the US and Canada from Rubie's; and video games worldwide from Storm City.
Release
''Beastly'' was expected to be distributed to theaters by
CBS Films
CBS Films Inc. was an American film production and distribution company founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of CBS Corporation and was considered a mini-major studio up until 2019.
CBS Films originally was planned to distribute, develop and prod ...
on July 30, 2010. However, the film's release was delayed until March 18, 2011, in order to avoid a clash with the release of ''
Charlie St. Cloud'', which starred
Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. He began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' trilo ...
, Hudgens's then-boyfriend with whom she had a strong following at the time. In January 2011, the release was moved forward to March 4, 2011.
Alliance Films
Alliance Films (formerly Alliance Entertainment, Alliance Communications, Alliance Atlantis Releasing Ltd, Motion Picture Distribution LP and also known as Alliance Vivafilm in Quebec and also known simply as Alliance) was a Canadian motion pictur ...
, based in Montreal, released the film in Canada under a deal with CBS Films.
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio Conglomerate (company), conglom ...
handled international distribution. The first planned release date was July 30, 2010, but a few weeks after ''Charlie St. Cloud'' moved to a July 30 release, CBS films released a statement through ''Beastly''s official Facebook page. CBS films would delay the release of ''Beastly'' because it would cause a "real dilemma" to fans of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens' relationship. The film's new release date was March 18, 2011 to avoid clashing with films opening during summer 2010.
However, the new date was four weeks after Pettyfer debuted in American cinema in ''
I Am Number Four
''I Am Number Four'' is a young adult science fiction novel by Pittacus Lore (the pseudonym of James Frey and Jobie Hughes) and the first book in the ''Lorien Legacies'' series. The book was published by HarperCollins on August 3, 2010, and spe ...
'', and three weeks before the release of Hudgens' other film ''
Sucker Punch
A sucker punch (American English), also known as a dog shot, coward punch, king hit or one-punch attack
(Australian and New Zealand English) or cold-cock (American English), is a punch made without warning or while the recipient is distracted, ...
''. CBS Films distribution head Steven Friedlandere said, "There wasn't much left in the summer that we could move it to. We didn't want to go in fall, and the holidays are for
four-quadrant movie
In the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood movie industry, a four-quadrant movie is one which appeals to all four major demographic "quadrants" of the moviegoing audience: both male and female, and both over- and under-25s.
Criteria
Films are ...
s. So we figured if we went to March, we'd have some school breaks happening around that time." After a successful test screening, CBS Films decided on an earlier release date, March 4, 2011. The movie was released on
Blu-ray Disc
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a Digital media, digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and c ...
on June 28, 2011.
Critical reception
''Beastly'' received mostly negative reviews, earning a 21% approval rating from
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
from 97 reviews, with an average rating of 3.70/10. The critical consensus read "Fundamentally misguided, poorly written, and badly acted, ''Beastly'' adds little to the legacy of its timeless source material." Adam Markovitz gave it a D− in ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
'', commenting, "Spectacularly poor judgment in everything from acting to costuming (Olsen's
Harajuku
is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular refer ...
-troll get-up is scarier than her curse) puts ''Beastly'' right on the cusp of the so-bad-it's-good Hall of Shame."
Lou Lumenick
Louis J. Lumenick (born September 11, 1949) is an American film critic. He was the chief film critic and film editor for the ''New York Post'' where he reviewed films from 1999 until his retirement in 2016. He is currently researching the histor ...
of the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' said the film " more than lives up to its name with ultra-campy performances, high-glucose direction (Daniel Barnz), laughable dialogue, cheesy effects and a back-lot simulation of a Manhattan street that wouldn't pass muster on an after-school special."
Mick LaSalle
Mick is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Michael. Because of its popularity in Ireland, it is often used in England as a derogatory term for an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. In Australia the meaning broaden ...
of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...
'', while noting problems with the plot and script, argued that these problems were largely acceptable within the confines of the genre, and were alleviated by the charm of the actors and the direction. He remarked that Barnz "showed imagination and sensitivity in his feature ''
Phoebe in Wonderland
''Phoebe in Wonderland'' is a 2008 American drama film written and directed by Daniel Barnz. It stars Felicity Huffman, Patricia Clarkson, Elle Fanning (in her first leading role), Campbell Scott, and Bill Pullman.
It was screened in the Dramati ...
'' and hasn't lost those qualities now that he's entered the world of the big budgets."
Claudia Puig wrote in ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' that "This modern reworking of ''Beauty and the Beast'' has none of the charm of
the Disney animated version. It's dogged by awkward dialogue, a ridiculous plot and lackluster performances, especially by the leads ..."
A number of reviewers criticized that Kyle did not look genuinely ugly in his beast form, and could even be regarded as more attractive, thereby compromising the film's moral about "inner beauty" shining through physical ugliness.
[
]
Box office
''Beastly'' had the third largest weekend gross earnings behind '' Rango'' and ''The Adjustment Bureau
''The Adjustment Bureau'' is a 2011 American science fiction romantic thriller film written and directed by George Nolfi, based on the 1954 Philip K. Dick short story "Adjustment Team". Starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Anthony Mackie, John Sl ...
''. As of May 25, ''Beastlys total US gross is $27.9 million. It garnered $15.3 million more in other regions, making the film's worldwide gross earnings $43.2 million.
Accolades
2011 Teen Choice Awards
* Choice Movie Lip Lock - Alex Pettyfer and Vanessa Hudgens (nominated)
* Choice Movie Breakout Actor - Alex Pettyfer (won)
Hudgens and Pettyfer were honored as ShoWest Stars of Tomorrow for their roles in ''Beastly''.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beastly
2010s high school films
2011 romantic drama films
2010s romantic fantasy films
2010s teen drama films
2010s teen romance films
2011 films
American high school films
American romantic drama films
American romantic fantasy films
American teen drama films
American teen romance films
CBS Films films
American fantasy drama films
Films about curses
Films about narcissism
Films based on American novels
Films based on Beauty and the Beast
Films based on fantasy novels
Films based on horror novels
Films based on romance novels
Films directed by Daniel Barnz
Films scored by Marcelo Zarvos
Films set in New York City
Films shot in Montreal
2010s teen fantasy films
Films about witchcraft
2010s English-language films
2010s American films