Yahoo Finance Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series Centered on Gaston and Sidekick LeFou Heading to Disney+
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
No one gets a prequel series quite like Gaston!
On Tuesday, Disney officially greenlit a live-action musical Beauty and the Beast prequel series at Disney+, which will see Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprise their roles of Gaston and LeFou, respectively, from the 2017 live-action adaptation film.
Given an eight-episode order and with production scheduled to begin in spring 2022, the series will be set years before the tale of The Beast and Belle's romance, and "will follow Gaston and LeFou as they set off with LeFou's step-sister, Tilly, after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio off on an unexpected journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure," per a press release.
"While the mysteries of the past are uncovered and the dangers of the present grow, old friends and new enemies reveal that this familiar kingdom harbors many secrets," the release adds.
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Christopher Polk/Getty Images; Presley Ann/Getty Images
The forthcoming series will be developed, executive produced and written by Gad, 40, alongside Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Once Upon a Time), with each also serving as a co-showrunner. Evans, 42, meanwhile, will help produce the series.
Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy will also executive produce and is set to direct the series' first episode.
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The project will also feature an original soundtrack from composer Alan Menken, who will similarly serve as executive producer. The lyrics for the first episode will be crafted by Glenn Slater, Disney said.
Alongside Evans and Gad, newcomer Briana Middleton will join the show as Tilly, LeFou's stepsister. No other casting announcements have been made.
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"For anyone who's ever wondered how a brute like Gaston and a goof like LeFou could have ever become friends and partners, or how a mystical enchantress came to cast that fateful spell on the prince-turned-beast, this series will finally provide those answers…and provoke a whole new set of questions," Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television, said.
"For three decades, this tale as old as time has inspired generations of fans around the world," added Michael Paull, president, Disney+ and ESPN+. "We can't wait to welcome our guests back to the magical and musical world of Beauty and the Beast for an all new chapter with LeFou, Gaston, and a fantastic new cast of characters."
Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remains the biggest movie released in 2017, with more than $1.26 billion in global ticket sales. It ranked No. 1 in its first weekend and opened to $174.7 million.
Last July, it was the top movie in the United States, making an estimated $467,000 at 527 locations, thanks to the film being played at drive-in theaters amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
