Earlier this year, it was revealed that Disney is in early development on a spinoff series centered on Gaston and LeFou from 2017’s billion-dollar live-action remake Beauty and the Beast with Luke Evans and Josh Gad set to reprise their roles. Now, thanks to a recent interview with Luke Evans we have an update on the Disney+ project.
While speaking with Collider, Evans shared how eager he was to work with Gad and return to such an iconic role:
“Josh and I, even when we were working on Beauty and the Beast, I recall, as two human beings, we liked each other a lot. We made each other laugh, we respected each other’s talent, and we had a great time. Even then, we were talking about what we could do and wanting to find another project. We’ve been searching, for the last several years, projects and scripts and ideas and concepts.
In the back of our minds, we definitely had thoughts about revisiting Gaston and LeFou in a different story, obviously. So, when the idea really came to fruition and we got on board some incredible writers, Josh, especially, had an incredible idea that, once it was born, it just flew itself. And when we pitched the idea to Disney+, they were very excited about it.
Now, we’re in fully-fledged development. The second and third episodes have been written and we’ve heard some of the music by Alan Menken. We’re just so honored to have him on board, writing the music, which is extraordinary, in itself. We feel so lucky to have this talented group of people creating a story about two much loved and much-hated characters, but that’s the excitement. There are a lot of questions about, where we will start? What we will tell? Who are these people? When you visit them, where will they be? So, it’s going to be a really fun experience. Me and Josh are literally vibrating with excitement to shoot it.”
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The series is still in the development stages but is expected to take place before the events of Beauty and the Beast and will expand upon the universe. Evans and Gad are the only actors from the film that are set to return. Still, Disney is expected to engage Emma Watson (Belle), Dan Stevens (Beast), Ewan McGregor (Lumiere), Ian McKellan (Cogsworth), and Emma Thompson (Mrs. Potts) for potential appearances.
Once Upon a Time creators, Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz are set to serve as showrunners and producers on the project alongside Gad. ABC Signature Studios is the studio on the series, which is currently working on the Mighty Duck series. Conversations about the untitled Beauty and the Beast prequel began shortly after the trio decided to depart Muppets series they were developing, Muppets Live Another Day.
The Gaston and LeFou series is Disney’s second live-action spinoff series in development for Disney+, with the studio also working on the Aladdin spinoff centered on Prince Anders, played by Billy Magnussen (Game Night).
Source: Collider
