Ll on top at box office

DISNEY’S Beautyandthe Beast continued its blockbuster ways this weekend, dominating North American movie screens with a three-day take of $88.3 million, according to an estimate from the specialised Exhibitor Relations. In just its second week, the film’s cumulative North American take of $317 million is the best ever for a March release, according to Variety, helping propel domestic box offices for March past $1 billion, the most ever for the month. The movie, starring Emma Watson of HarryPotter fame as Belle and Dan Stevens from the DowntonAbbey series as the Beast, has shown drawing power usually more typical of a superhero blockbuster than of PG-rated family fare.