Linda Woolverton on the live-action 'Beauty and the Beast': "I'm really excited about what they're doing."

With the release of Alice Through the Looking Glass in late May, screenwriter Linda Woolverton spoke with several outlets about Alice, the upcoming sequel to Maleficient, and of course, Beauty and the Beast. Although Woolverton, who penned the screenplay for 1991's Beauty and the Beast, is not involved with the live-action adaptation, she did express her excitement for the latest version of the tale as old as time and reflected on working with lyricist Howard Ashman to shape Belle's character. 

Check out excerpts from three new interviews with Linda Woolverton below. 

Entertainment Weekly: Linda Woolverton, the $3 billion Alice and Beauty and the Beast screenwriter, remembers a Belle battle

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Beauty and the Beast was Disney’s first film made from a traditional screenplay versus elaborate storyboards. And it was also your first feature film. What was the hardest challenge with writing Belle?

LINDA WOOLVERTON: It was hard. You have to understand that the whole idea of the heroine-victim was baked into the cake, especially at Disney. And that is nothing against them — they had been very successful with so many wonderful animated movies, which I loved. But they were reflective of the culture.

You thought that the one-note princess thing was a bit tired?

Well, yeah. I just didn’t think anyone was going to buy it, honestly. By the time I rolled around, I’d been through the women’s movement in the ‘60s and ‘70s and I definitely couldn’t buy that this smart, attractive young girl, Belle, would be sitting around and waiting for her prince to come. That she was someone who suffers in silence and only wants a pure rose? That she takes all this abuse but is still good at heart? I had a hard time with that.

You’ve said that your model for the character was Katharine Hepburn in Little Women.

Yes. That was a real depiction of womanhood. I think you can take on current issues of today through fairy tales or the mythic. And so that was my fight, always saying, “The audience is just not gonna buy this anymore.” Actually I need to acknowledge [lyricist] Howard Ashman —​ him and I really conjured up Belle together. Howard unfortunately wasn’t around to see the finished product [he died before the film’s release], but he was also fighting for this character.

Were you satisfied with how it turned out?

I am. I mean, you can only move the needle so much. Look at all the Disney princesses before her. Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale, but she has an independent, open mind. She loves to read and to explore the outdoors. But even so, every day was a battle of making it happen. Every single line of her dialogue was a battle. My daughter was born the same year that Beauty and the Beast came out, so I’m always aware how long ago it was. And in some ways it’s taken until now for people to realize that Belle was something of a first.

Happy Anniversary to 'Beauty and the Beast' on Broadway

It is a big year for Beauty and the Beast with the live-action film less than a year away and the animated classic celebrating its 25th anniversary in November. Also celebrating this year is the Broadway production, which debuted 22 years ago today on April 18th, 1994 at the Palace Theater. The show, which also played at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, ran 13 years for a total of 5,461 performances. Beauty and the Beast marked Disney's first Broadway outing and was followed by productions of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and Aladdin, which is currently playing at the New Amsterdam theater in New York City.

The Broadway production saw the return of two key members of the animated film's production team, composer Alan Menken and screenwriter Linda Woolverton, who penned the book for the theatrical production. Menken teamed with lyricist Tim Rice, with whom he worked with on Aladdin, for new songs for the stage production. The song "Human Again," which was originally intended for the animated film and has since been included on DVD/Blu-ray releases of the film, also found a place in the Broadway production. The musical's creative team also included director Robert Jess Roth, choreographer Matt West, and costume designer Ann Hould-Ward. The show's original cast included Susan Egan as Belle, Terrance Mann as the Beast, Burke Moses as Gaston, Gary Beach as Lumiere, Heath Lamberts as Cogsworth, and Beth Fowler as Mrs. Potts.

Just as the animated film was honored with several Academy Award nominations and two wins, the Broadway production was recognized with 9 Tony Award and 10 Drama Desk Award nominations. The show's Tony nominations included Best Musical, Best Original Score, Beast Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (Terrence Mann), Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Susan Egan), and Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (Gary Beach). Beauty and the Beast took home one award for Best Costume Design (Ann Hould-Ward).

Since its Broadway debut, Beauty and the Beast has enjoyed runs in more than 30 countries and has grossed over $1 billion worldwide. Some productions of note include the 1997 West End production, which won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and the 1995 Australian production, which featured Academy Award nominee and Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman as Gaston (click here to listen to Jackman sing "Me"). And speaking of the handsome brute, Alexis Loizon, who played Gaston in the 2013 French production, will appear in the upcoming live-action film as Stanley ("You can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley..."). Such fun!

Below are a few interesting videos, including a behind the scene look at the Broadway production hosted by Robby Benson (voice of the Beast).

Backstage Pass: Disney's Beauty and the Beast Goes to Broadway



Beauty and the Beast's Tony Awards Performance

Beauty and the Beast on Broadway

Countdown to 'Beauty and the Beast' #4

Magical Monday- Enchanted Tales with Belle at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

"Take me back to the day Belle and Beast fell in love!" If you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast, then New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom park is probably at the top of your Disney wish list. From the Be Our Guest restaurant to Gaston's Tavern, the area of Belle's Village is an immersive experience for any Disney guest. Also located in the village is Enchanted Tales with Belle, where guests can visit Maurice's cottage and travel through a magic mirror to the Beast's castle. The interactive show, which officially opened on December 6, 2012, allows kids and adults to take part in a retelling of Belle and Beast's story narrated by Lumiere and complete with an appearance by Belle herself.

Although the attraction itself is entertaining, you will not begrudge some of the wait time, if only to have the chance to explore Maurice's cottage. Here you can see several nods to the animated classic, as well as some charming new touches to Belle's story. One of my favorites is the painting of Belle and her mother hanging in the living room. I also love the wood carving of Belle and Beast tucked away on a high shelf in Maurice's workshop, which is actually a small scale model for the large music box in the Rose Gallery room of the Be Our Guest restaurant.