By Maria Katrina Segui
Disney+ has greenlit the production of Beauty and the Beast’s live-action prequel series. The show is set to be a limited, eight-episode musical centered on the classic fairytale’s villain, Gaston, and his sidekick LeFou.
Luke Evans and Josh Gad will be reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou with Briana Middleton as the new addition to the cast as LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly.
“The series will follow the duo as they set off with LeFou’s stepsister, 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,” Disney shared in a statement.
Disney Branded Television’s president Gary Marsh said, “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.”
It was also revealed that the show will likely feature neither Belle nor the Beast as the story takes place years before their epic romance, but promises to provide a backstory on how the Prince transformed into the Beast.
While the tragic tale of Belle and the beast was made famous by Disney in 1991, Beauty and the Beast was created by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve in 1740 and has been transformed into countless adaptations since then.
The Beauty and the Beast origin series will start its production at the beginning of 2022.
