In a quaint French village, Belle, a bright and independent young woman, dreams of adventure and resists the advances of Gaston, a self-absorbed and boorish suitor. Her father, Maurice, an eccentric inventor, becomes lost in the woods and stumbles upon a foreboding castle, where he is imprisoned by the mysterious Beast. The Beast, once a handsome prince, is afflicted by a curse that has transformed him into a monster and will only be broken if he can learn to love and be loved in return before the last petal of an enchanted rose falls.

Determined to rescue her father, Belle ventures into the forest and finds the castle. Upon discovering Maurice's plight, she offers herself as a prisoner in exchange for her father's freedom. The Beast agrees, and Maurice is sent back to the village. In the castle, Belle encounters an array of enchanted servants who were once the Beast's staff, now transformed into objects like a clock, a teapot, and a candelabrum. As days pass, Belle and the Beast slowly begin to connect, their relationship evolving from hostility to friendship, giving hope that the curse may finally be lifted. However, outside the castle, Gaston's determination to marry Belle leads him to hatch a nefarious plan to rid himself of his competition.