The Beauty and the Beast prequel series planned for Disney+ is now reportedly being postponed indefinitely, according to multiple sources.
- There are actually some conflicting reports regarding the Beauty and the Beast prequel series with some sites like Deadline reporting that is “not going forward,” while others like The Hollywood Reporter are saying the series has been “put on hold.”
- Either way, the decision to halt the series is reportedly a result of creative decisions, with scripts not coming together in the direction expected.
- The creation of original music was also reportedly running behind schedule.
- The decision comes after the primary cast has already been assembled and shooting was planned for this summer in the U.K.
- Luke Evans and Josh Gad were set to star in the series, reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou respectively.
- Briana Middleton, Fra Fee, Jelani Alladin and Rita Ora had also been cast.
- Gad also developed and wrote the series alongside Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
- Interestingly, this is not the first of Gad’s Disney+ projects to get shelved, after his unannounced Muppets series met the same fate in 2019.
- Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy was set to direct the first episode of the series.
- Disney Legend Alan Menken was tapped to write the soundtrack for the series.
About the Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series:
- Set in the iconic kingdom of Beauty and the Beast years before Beast and Belle's epic romance, the prequel series will follow Gaston and LeFou 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. 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.