Back in June, Disney+ officially greenlit the Beauty and the Beast prequel series. The eight-episode limited musical series will focus on Gaston and his trusty sidekick LeFou with Luke Evans and Josh Gad reprising their roles from 2017’s live-action Beauty and the Beast.
Newcomer Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar) has also joined the cast. The actress will take on the role of LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly.
Set in the iconic kingdom of Beauty and the Beast years before the Beast and Belle’s epic romance, the series will follow Gaston (Evans) and LeFou (Gad) as they set off with LeFou’s step-sister, Tilly (Middleton), 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. 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.
There have been rumors that Emma Watson and Dan Stevens could have cameo appearances in the series as well.
In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Josh Gad provided a filming update regarding the series. Gad confirmed that filming on the project was slated to begin this spring. You can read what Gad said below:
“We’re still planning on shooting this spring and the scripts are incredible, the music is unbelievable, all-new songs by Alan Menken, we’re casting now,” Gad confirmed with ComicBook.com while promoting his new Peacock series Wolf Like Me.
Alan Menken, who scored both the 1991 and 2017 Beauty and the Beast movies, is writing the soundtrack for the series, with lyrics for the first episode by Oscar-nominee Glenn Slater (Tangled). Menken also let slip over a year ago that the Beauty and the Beast prequel will be titled “The Little Town” in reference to the song “Belle” from the 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast movie.
Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed) will direct the first episode.
Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (Once Upon A Time) are set to co-write and serve as showrunners. Gad will also serve as co-writer on the project, with Horowitz, and Kitsis executive producing.
A Disney+ release date for the series has not been announced yet.
Source: ComicBook.com