Disney greenlights Beauty and the Beast musical prequel series about Gaston and LeFou's adventures

Beauty and the Beast
(Image credit: Disney)

A Beauty and the Beast prequel series revolving around the adventures of Gaston and LeFou is coming to Disney Plus. Early word on the show began to circulate in March 2020 but the Mouse House has now given the show the greenlight. 

Luke Evans and Josh Gad are confirmed to reprise their roles from the 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast remake, as Gaston and LeFou respectively. The troublesome pair are joined by franchise newcomer Briana Middleton in the role of Tilly, LeFou's stepsister.

"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," said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television.

The limited series consists of eight episodes, and was developed and written by Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. The three will also serve as executive producers/co-showrunners on the as-yet-untitled series. 

Elsewhere behind the scenes, the series will feature new music from composer Alan Menken, who previously scored both Beauty and the Beast movies. He's onboard to write the soundtrack for all eight episodes.

This series sounds like an absolute delight, especially taking into account the official synopsis for the show which makes it sounds a little The Princess Bride-esque: "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."

Beauty and the Beast prequel series is scheduled to start production in Spring 2022 ahead of its exclusive arrival on Disney Plus. Until then, scope out our recommendations of the best shows on Disney Plus you can stream right now.

Gem Seddon

Gem Seddon is GamesRadar+'s west coast Entertainment News Reporter, working to keep all of you updated on all of the latest and greatest movies and shows on streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Outside of entertainment journalism, Gem can frequently be found writing about the alternative health and wellness industry, and obsessing over all things Aliens and Terminator on Twitter.