“Beastly” Release Date Pushed Up To March 4

The release date for Beastly — a fantasy film starring Neil Patrick Harris, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Alex Pettyfer — has been pushed up two weeks. CBS Films had originally pushed back the film’s release to March 18, 2011, but Beastly will now hit theaters on March 4, Box Office Mojo has learned.

The modern-day take on Beauty and the Beast, based on Alex Flinn’s young-adult novel of the same title, features arrogant New York teen Kyle Kingson (Pettyfer), who is turned into a monster after bailing out on a date. In order to break the curse, Kingson has to find his true love, played by Hudgens.

Beastly will go head-to-head with The Adjustment Bureau, Apollo 18, Rango, and Take Me Home Tonight, which are also set to open at the box office this March.