A Beauty and the Beast prequel series is in the works for Disney+. The show is set to take place well before the events of the movie and will see stars Josh Gad and Luke Evans return as LeFou and Gaston, respectively. This is the latest major blockbuster that Disney has decided to spin-off for the streaming service, which launched in November, following in the wake of Star Wars and Aladdin.
According to a new report, Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Once Upon a Time) are set to serve as showrunners on the series alongside Josh Gad. All three of them will write scripts for the project in addition to serving as executive producers. Luke Evans will also executive produce. Story details remain scarce currently, but no other stars who appeared in the 2017 live-action version of Beauty and the Beast are attached yet. Though, the possibility remains that other stars could become attached for brief appearances, as the show is in the early stages of development.
Another key is that Oscar-winner Alan Menken, who composed music for the original animated movie, as well as the 2017 remake, is in negotiations to return as well. The prequel, which currently doesn't have a title, will be a musical and is described as a limited series. That means it will be a one-and-done.
One question worth pondering is whether or not LeFou's sexuality will be explored at all. Quite a big deal was made about LeFou having a "gay moment" on screen in the movie, which turned out to be a rather small, missable moment. Though, given what has happened with projects such as Lizzie McGuire, it seems Disney will probably play it safe on that front.
The project came about as Josh Gad, Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz were working on Muppets Live Another Day for Disney+, which was ultimately scrapped. Talk of this Beauty and the Beast prequel began shortly after they walked away from The Muppets show, which would have been a sequel to Muppets Take Manhattan. Gad has an excellent working relationship with Disney, as he also stars as Olaf in the Frozen franchise. Gad is also set to star in Shrunk, the upcoming Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel, alongside Rick Moranis.
Beauty and the Beast, directed by Bill Condon, was released in 2017 and remains one of the most successful live-action remakes Disney has produced. With a cast led by Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, grossed $1.26 billion at the global box office. Disney is also developing an Aladdin spin-off series following that movie's success, as the movie grossed $1 billion last year. The studio also has several live-action Star Wars shows in development such as Rogue One prequel and an Obi-Wan Kenobi series starring Ewan McGreggor. We'll be sure to keep you posted as any further details are made available. This news comes to us via The Hollywood Reporter.