Following the massive success of Beauty and the Beast, DisneyToon Studios produced and released a direct-to-video follow-up titled Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. This was among the first of DisneyToon’s long line of Disney cheapquels.

This Christmas-themed story is said to be a midquel, where it takes place after Belle is kidnapped by the Beast, but before the invasion of the villagers. In this case, Belle and the objects prepare the castle for a magnificent Christmas party with the help of the castle’s decorator Angelique. But this lovely vacation is threatened by Maestro Forte, a gloomy pipe-organ who hates holidays, and is determined to keep Belle and the Beast apart forever.

Like with most Disney sequels, this one failed to recapture the magic of it’s masterful predecessor. Despite that, it still has somewhat of a nostalgic following, with Forte said to be the big highlight of the film.

---

Technical description:

• Country of origin:  United States,  Canada
• Director: Andy Knight
• Producers: Lori Forte, John C. Donkin
• Screenplay: Flip Kobler, Cindy Marcus, Bill Motz, Bob Roth
• Music: Rachel Portman
• Editor: Tony Migalaski
• Studios: Walt Disney Television Animation, Walt Disney Animation Canada Inc., DisneyToon Studios
• Distributor: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
• Running time: 71 minutes
• Sales gross: $180 million

English voices:

• Paige O'Hara - Belle
• Robby Benson - Beast
• Tim Curry - Maestro Forte
• Jerry Orbach - Lumière
• David Ogden Stiers - Cogsworth
• Paul Reubens - Fife
• Haley Joel Osment - Chip (singing by Andrew Keenan-Bolger)
• Angela Lansbury - Mrs. Potts
• Bernadette Peters - Angelique
• Frank Welker - Philippe and Sultan
• Jeff Bennett - Axe
• Kath Soucie - The Enchantress

Release dates:

• North American VHS release: November 11, 1997
• North American DVD release: October 13, 1998
• Special Edition VHS/DVD release: November 12, 2002
• Special Edition DVD/Blu-ray release: November 22, 2011
   

---