Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos , and co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films . The film is based on Disney 's 1991 animated film of the same name , itself an adaptation of Jeanne - Marie Leprince de Beaumont 's eighteenth - century fairy tale . The film features an ensemble cast that includes Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the eponymous characters with Luke Evans , Kevin Kline , Josh Gad , Ewan McGregor , Stanley Tucci , Audra McDonald , Gugu Mbatha - Raw , Ian McKellen , and Emma Thompson in supporting roles .

Question: who played the beast in the movie beauty and the beast
Answer: Dan Stevens