![Beauty and the Beast: Belle and Beast looking at each other [GIF]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/17/11/1489765322-beauty-beast-belle-looking-at-each-other.gif "Beauty and the Beast: Belle and Beast looking at each other [GIF]")
We don't think anyone in the world was surprised by the enormous success of Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast this year.
And Stanley Tucci, who plays Maestro Cadenza in the film, was completely expecting it to be the smash-hit it was.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday (September 9), Tucci said he "wasn't surprised at all" at the film's popularity.
Emma Thompson, who plays Mrs Potts in the film, added: "It's a very popular property, isn't it? Ancient fairy tale that has been told for hundreds and hundreds of years."
"And will be told again", Tucci added in agreement, before saying taking part in the movie "was really fun".
The updated version of Beauty and the Beast, which stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast, is the most successful film of 2017 so far.
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![Beauty and the Beast: Belle reading [GIF]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/digitalspyuk.cdnds.net/17/11/1489765141-beauty-and-the-beast-emma-watson-belle-reading.gif?resize=980:* "Beauty and the Beast: Belle reading [GIF]")
It's taken an unbelievable $1 billion worldwide and has become the biggest live-action movie musical ever made.
Seeing as the original 1991 animated version was nominated for an Oscar, it was only ever going to be a mega hit.
Beauty and the Beast also counts Ewan McGregor, Kevin Kline, Audra McDonald, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Ian McKellen among its starry cast.
The movie saw Disney's first ever live-action interracial kiss between Tucci and McDonald's characters (better late than never).
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Reporter & Sub-Editor, Digital Spy Susannah is a freelance writer and sub-editor, specialising in the entertainment industry. She graduated in 2014, with a BA in English and American Literature and Creative Writing, and an MA in Creative Producing. She’s been writing for Digital Spy ever since, after first getting involved through work experience, and has written hundreds of stories for the site on a range of topics, from The Sims to Doctor Who. Susannah has also written for Reveal Magazine. Her special interests are soaps (her Mastermind subject would be 2000s Coronation Street), Marvel and Star Wars. She can also quote far too many lines from Friends and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
