Disney+ has given the go-ahead for Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature's eight-episode prequel to the 2017 live-action film Beauty and the Beast, itself based on the 1991 animated film of the same name.
Luke Evans (The Alienist) and The Book of Mormon Tony nominee Josh Gad will reprise their 2017 roles as Gaston and LeFou (Louie), respectively, with Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar) as Louie's stepsister, Tilly.
Developed, executive-produced, and written by Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz, with each serving as a co-showrunner, the creative team also includes Tony-nominated director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed), who has come on board as an executive producer and will direct the first episode. The project will feature an original soundtrack from EGOT-winning composer Alan Menken, who will also serve as executive producer, and lyrics for the first episode will be by Oscar nominee Glenn Slater (Tangled).
Production on the series will begin in spring 2022.
Set years before the Beast and Belle's epic romance, the series will follow Gaston and LeFou as they set off with LeFou's step-sister, Tilly, after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio off on an unexpected journey.
Featuring a score by Menken and the late Howard Ashman, with additional lyrics by Tim Rice, the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast was directed by Bill Condon, who co-wrote the screenplay with Evan Spiliotopoulos and Stephen Chbosky. The Broadway musical, based on the 1991 film, opened at the Palace Theatre in April 1994, eventually playing over 5,400 performances.
