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Streaming platform Disney+ has greenlit a new musical series, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ from Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature.
An eight-episode prequel to the 2017 live-action film, ‘Beauty and the Beast will star Luke Evans (The Alienist) and Josh Gad (Frozen 2), reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou (Louie), and introduces Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar) as Louie’s stepsister, Tilly.
The film set in the iconic kingdom of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ years before the Beast and Belle’s epic romance, the 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.
The series, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is developed, executive-produced, and written by Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz (Once Upon a Time), each serving as a co-showrunner.
The series creative team also includes Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed, Respect), who has come on board as an executive producer and he will direct the first episode.
It also features the original soundtrack from the EGOT Award-winner composer Alan Menken, who will serve as executive producer, and lyrics for the first episode will be by Oscar-nominee Glenn Slater (Tangled).
Gary Mash, President and chief creative officer, Disney Branded Television, said, “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.”
Michael Paul, President, Disney+ and ESPN +, said, “For three decades, this tale as old as time has inspired generations of fans around the world, We can’t wait to welcome our guests back to the magical and musical world of “Beauty and the Beast” for an all all-newer with LeFou, Gaston, and a fantastic new cast of characters.”
