The production budget of Beauty and the Beast was $25 million. That figure refers to the 1991 animated feature, not the much more expensive 2017 live-action remake.
The budget supported an unusually ambitious production for Disney animation. The film required extensive hand-drawn character animation, elaborate painted backgrounds, orchestral recording, and pioneering digital compositing. Its production lasted roughly three and a half years and involved hundreds of artists, animators, and technicians.
The investment paid off commercially. The film earned about $331 million worldwide during its original theatrical run and later reached a much higher cumulative total after re-releases. It became one of the defining successes of Disney’s Renaissance period, following The Little Mermaid and preceding Aladdin.
Readers sometimes confuse the figure with the 2017 remake’s budget, commonly reported at around $160 million. The $25 million answer belongs specifically to the original 1991 animated film and is the standard figure used in film references and databases.