Ranking The 16 Best Adaptations Of The Beauty And The Beast Story

The Beauty and the Beast story is a tale as old as time.

[{"selector":"#anim-73419e4c-def2-4a6c-9890-01faa0996723","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb3bc558-9204-4308-91fd-f25a219a7a29","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-177.04918%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":250,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo: CBS Learn more

From Cupid and Psyche to the lesser-known original novel, Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740, to the famous abridged version by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, and ultimately to the Beauty and the Beast adaptations and retellings we watch and read in movies, television, and books today.

[{"selector":"#anim-82bb1b9f-1601-4201-92c5-e62a8a53da65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2e5cf383-9d9e-4a2a-b72d-e8775607f9a2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 162.93285%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":1400,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more

So, because we’re huge fans of the Beauty and the Beast story, we thought it would be fun to rank the best and most popular movie and TV adaptations from worst to best.

Photo: Pathé Learn more

Beastly (2011)

Beastly is a Beauty and the Beast adaptation for teens. It’s a cute, imperfect YA movie but a fun watch overall! 16. Photo: CBS Films Learn more

Beauty and the Beast (1987)

15. This 1987 musical adaptation is part of the 1980 film series, Cannon Movie Tales and a fan favorite. Photo: The Cannon Group Learn more

The Beautician and the Beast (1997)

14. In this version of the tale, a New York cosmetologist is offered a job to teach the children of a “beastly” Eastern European dictator and they soon fall in love. Photo: Paramount Pictures Learn more

Beauty and the Beast TV Series (2012-2016)

13. This is an urban fantasy adaptation of the Beauty and the Beast story about a detective falling in love with a man turned “beast” from a government experiment. Photo: CW Learn more

Once Upon a Time: Rumple and Belle (2011-2018)

12. This time, the beast is the fairy tale character, Rumplestiltskin and he’s a “beast” obsessed with power. Photo: ABC Learn more

Swipe up to read the entire list!

Photo: Disney Learn more