Disney Announces New ‘Beauty & The Beast’ Prequel Series
It’s happening, you guys. Yep, for those who missed it, rumors started to spread last year that Disney was working
Lillie Gissen
It’s happening, you guys. Yep, for those who missed it, rumors started to spread last year that Disney was working on a live-action prequel show to their hit movie Beauty and the Beast — called Beauty and the Best — and now, they’ve finally confirmed the exciting news!
But wait, what will the new series be about? Will the cast of the 2017 movie return for the project? Will any new stars join the cast? And when will it come out? Not to worry, you guys, because we have all the exciting details. Here’s everything you need to know about Beauty and the Best…
What Will ‘Beauty And The Best’ Be About?
Get ready to see your favorite dynamic duo — Gaston and LeFou — like never before because according to Deadline, the new show will focus on their friendship, years before Belle came into the picture. Here’s a synopsis:
“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 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.”
Wow, how epic does that sound?! As fans know, the network turned the animated classic into a live-action movie back in 2017, and boy, was it amazing to see it come to life.
“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,” Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television, said in a statement about the new show.
Who Is Going To Star In The New Show?
Drum roll please… Luke Evans and Josh Gad are reportedly reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou for the new series. Newcomer Briana Middleton will join the cast as Tilly, and we can’t wait! Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz wrote the show and will serve as executive producers, while Tony Award winning director Liesl Tommy is set to direct it.
But want to know the best part?! The one and only Alan Menken — who has worked on so many Disney movies, including the original Beauty and the Beast — and Glenn Slater — who was behind the lyrics in Tangled — will write the soundtrack for it! That’s right, it’s going to be a musical, so get ready to get up out of your seats and dance!
“There are few more precious gems in the Disney library than this iconic franchise, and this prequel is both a love letter to what’s come before and its own spectacular adventure,” Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature, told Deadline. “Josh, Eddy and Adam’s vision gives us a window into the origin of Luke’s Gaston and Josh’s LeFou with the twist of a new partner in crime — Tilly, played by the luminous Briana Middleton. This dream team would not be complete without the genius Alan Menken returning to write even more glorious music for the franchise he helped create … We cannot wait to start shooting.”
There’s unfortunately no release date for it just yet, but production is supposed to begin in spring 2022.
What Else Do Disney Fans Have To Look Forward To?
There’s actually a lot of new Disney movies and shows in the works at the moment. And the one we’re looking forward to most is probably the upcoming Percy Jackson series!
As fans know, the Percy Jackson movies came out in 2010 and 2013, and they quickly became two of the most beloved flicks of all time! The films (which starred Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson and more) were based off of a five-part book series written by Rick Riordan. Now, almost eight years later, Disney has announced that they are making a new spinoff based on the franchise, and it turns out, the new series won’t be a continuation of the movies, but instead, it will retell the original story.
“Hey Percy Jackson fans, for the past decade, you’ve worked hard to champion a faithful on-screen adaptation of Percy Jackson’s world,” the author wrote on Twitter last year. “Some of you have even suggested it would be a good series for Disney+. We couldn’t agree more! We can’t say much more at this stage but we are very excited about the idea of a live-action series of the highest quality, following the storyline of the original Percy Jackson five-book series, starting with The Lightning Thief in Season 1. Rest assured that [my wife] Becky and I will be involved in-person at every step of the show. There will be much more news in the future, but for now, we have a lot of work to do! Buckle up, demigods. It’s going to a fantastic, exciting ride!”
Disney is also working on a live-action remake of Peter Pan, and the network has reportedly cast Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell. According to Deadline, the Grown-ish star was officially chosen to play the fairy that we all know and love, making her the first person of color to ever portray the traditionally-white character. Plus, Jude Law (who fans may recognize from his roles in Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Sherlock Holmes, A Series of Unfortunate Events and more) will reportedly play Captain Hook! Alexander Molony (who made his acting debut in 2017 and has starred in TV shows like The Reluctant Landlord and Claude) is going to star as the boy who doesn’t want to grow up, and Ever Anderson (who briefly appeared in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, but hasn’t acted in anything else) is set to play Wendy.
There’s also a live-action remake of The Little Mermaid coming soon, and we can’t wait! Halle Bailey is going to play the red-haired mermaid, plus, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Daveed Diggs, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy and Jonah Hauer-King are also set to star in it. Harry Styles was originally being eyed for the role of Prince Eric, but he ultimately turned it down to focus on his music.
Apparently, Disney is also making a Pirates of the Caribbean prequel that’s going to star Zac Efron! Some reports have claimed that the High School Musical alum is going to play Captain Jack Sparrow when he was younger, and we are freaking out over this!
Plus, news hit the web back in May 2021 that one of our all time favorite movies was getting a sequel — more than 13 years after it came out! Yep, we’re talking about Enchanted — the hilarious Disney flick which starred Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel and more. And get this — almost all of the original stars have signed on for the second movie — called Disenchanted — including Adams, Dempsey, Menzel and Marsden. Unfortunately, Rachel Covey will not return as Morgan (Dempsey’s character’s daughter), but instead, Gabby Baldacchino has been recast for the role. Plus, Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Kolton Stewart and Oscar Nuñez have all also joined the cast! Adam Shankman is set to direct and produce the movie, while Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz will write the music for it.
Here’s an official synopsis for the film: “Disenchanted features the much-anticipated return of Giselle, the princess from the fairy-tale world of Andalasia banished to Manhattan who found her real Princess Charming in divorce lawyer Robert Philip. 15 years later, Giselle moves to the suburb of Monroeville with Robert and their teenage daughter Morgan, where she must juggle the challenges that come with a new home and discover what happily ever after truly means to her and her new family.” Ugh, we can’t wait to see how this plays out!
They’re also reportedly working on eight new Star Wars TV shows and one new Star Wars movie, tons more Marvel movies, Indiana Jones 5, a prequel to Toy Story called Lightyear, a Moana and Princess and the Frog spinoff series, called Tiana and Moana a live-action remake of Pinocchio and so much more. Wow, there’s honestly so many things to be excited about!