Beauty and the Beast is officially getting a prequel series on Disney+, with Josh Gad and Luke Evans reprising their roles as LeFou and Gaston. According to Deadline, Disney+ officially greenlit the eight-episode limited musical series, which currently has a working title of Beauty and the Best. This series will serve as a prequel to the 2017 live-action movie starring Emma Watson as Belle.
But don’t expect Watson to show up in this series: it’s all about Evans’ Gaston and Gad’s LeFou. I didn’t think it was possible to find the real-life versions of these characters, but lo and behold, Disney has done it!
Gad and Evans will be joined by newcomer Brianna Middleton, who will play LeFou’s stepsister Tilly.
Beauty and the Beast prequel series plot
The prequel series will take place years before the iconic story of the Beast and Belle. An unexpected secret from Tilly’s past resurfaces which prompts her, Gaston and LeFou to head off on a journey “filled with romance, comedy, and adventure.”
Along the way, mysteries will unravel, and a kingdom will yield up its secrets. Perhaps we’ll meet the sorceress that transformed the prince into a beast! I mean, there have to be some Easter Eggs, right?
Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed) is set to direct the first episode, while EGOT-winning composer Alan Menken will return to lend his talents to the show’s soundtrack. He created the music for the original 1991 film as well as the live-action 2017 prequel, so the prequel is in very capable hands.
Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Branded Television, talked up the prequel series in a statement, and I must admit I am officially excited:
"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."
Production on the Beauty and the Beast prequel series is set to begin in spring 2022, but no premiere date/timeline has been announced as of yet. If I had to guess? Sometime in mid-late 2023.
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