One rainy night on the threshold of a castle, a beggar woman comes and asks the vain owner for a shelter for the night. The owner refuses and, in return, the beggar woman transforms the inhabitants of the castle into a variety of household items and turns the owner into a hideous beast. In addition, the beggar woman gives him a magic rose. She states that once the last petal has fallen from the rose, he will remain a beast forever unless he can find a girl who will fall in love with him. If the beast succeeds, the spell will be broken and he will be human again.
10 years later, a girl named Belle (who is a local beauty obsessed with literature) sends her dad to show his new invention at a local fair. On route, he loses his way in the forest. Wolves frighten his horse and whilst looking for a safe place to hide, he arrives at the beast's castle and meets the enchanted inhabitants. The beast throws him into the prison as a trespasser. His daughter, Belle, agrees that if the beast lets her father go, she will allow the beast to imprison her instead. Will this be the opportunity the beast has been waiting for? Will the spell finally be broken?