The first Disney film scored by a woman was a Christmas sequel
In short: While many view it as a simple holiday follow-up, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas marked a major industry milestone. It was the first time a Disney animated feature film was scored by a woman, featuring a live orchestra and a narrative built on a complex flashback structure.
Released on November 11, 1997, the film serves as a direct-to-video sequel to the 1991 classic. While the frame story takes place after the Prince's transformation back into a human, the core narrative is a flashback to the couple's first Christmas together. This structure allowed the studio to explore the emotional history of the characters, specifically focusing on the period shortly after the Beast saved Belle from wolves.
The production was a significant logistical undertaking for the studio. Following the success of The Return of Jafar in 1994, Disney opened the Walt Disney Animation Canada studios in 1996. This project was their first direct-to-video film to utilize digital ink and paint. The production boasted a distinct musical heritage, as Rachel Portman wrote the score and songs while Don Black provided the lyrics, representing a landmark achievement for the studio. To ensure premium quality, the cast performed the musical numbers alongside an orchestra during live recording sessions.
The film's antagonist, Forte the pipe organ, actually contains remnants of a discarded plot. Originally, the sequel was intended to feature Gaston's younger brother, Avenant, who planned to use sorcery to revert the Prince back into a Beast. While Avenant was cut, his motivations—specifically the desire to prevent the spell from breaking—were integrated into Forte's character. Despite its critical reception, which includes a 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the film remains a notable piece of Disney's expansion into the direct-to-video market.
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