 Walt Disney first attempted unsuccessfully to adapt Beauty and the Beast into an animated feature film during the 1930s and 1950s . Following the success of The Little Mermaid ( 1989 ) , Disney decided to adapt the fairy tale , which Richard Purdum originally conceived as a non @-@ musical . Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg eventually discontinued the idea and ordered that the film be a musical similar to The Little Mermaid instead . Beauty and the Beast was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise , with a screenplay by Linda Woolverton story first credited to Roger Allers . Lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken wrote the film 's songs . Ashman , who additionally served as an executive producer on the film , died of AIDS @-@ related complications eight months before the film 's release , and the film was dedicated to his memory . 
