Moviegoers’ experience went beyond the big screen at Kent Plaza Theatres Saturday. Fans were greeted with an opportunity to meet characters from Disney’s live action remake of “Beauty and the Beast,” which debut this weekend.

Employees dressed up as Belle and the Beast to pose for pictures. Kids of all ages lined up to get their photo taken with characters and backdrops straight from the new film.

Cindy Revak, local Kent resident, expressed her appreciation of the movie theater holding events like this one.

“It made this family trip to the movies even more exciting,” Revak said. “We all enjoyed the movie, and I hope they continue to do events like these in the future so we can interact with our other favorite characters.”

Dillon Oliver, manager at Kent Plaza Theatres, explained this event was to attract fans of all ages.

“I knew the premiere was going to be super busy, but the sign on the window telling people to come meet Belle and the Beast really drew a lot of fans in,” Oliver said. “It’s a great thing for fans because not a lot of theatres do interactive events like this anymore. It really helps to (boost) their experience.”

Starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens in the title roles, “Beauty and the Beast” had a record-breaking opening weekend at the box office, earning an estimate of $170 million in the U.S.

Dylan expressed there will be similar events planned in the future because of the great turnout.

Jeremy Walters, a sophomore psychology major, went to the event.

“I got to come here with my little sister and my mom, and we all really liked it. The movie was great and way more updated then the previous film,” Walters said. “Plus, seeing the characters when we walked in was cool – definitely a pleasant surprise.”

Madeline Crandall is an entertainment reporter, contact her at [email protected]