The planned Beauty and the Beast prequel series from Disney+ will no longer be moving forward as the production has been put on ice.
According to Deadline, the proposed eight-episode series, which intended to shoot in the U.K. this summer, has been dropped due to “creative reasons.” Sources told the publication that the scripts and original music had not come together as expected, and the show was running behind schedule.
The decision was made to put the project on hold as pushing filming into the fall was not a possibility due to weather concerns and talent availability. The series was set to star Luke Evans (The Alienist) and Josh Gad (Wolf Like Me), reprising their roles from the 2017 live-action remake as Gaston and LeFou, respectively.
In addition to Evans and Gad, the cast included Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar), Fra Fee (Hawkeye), Jelani Alladin (The Walking Dead: World Beyond), and singer Rita Ora.
The series was said to follow Gaston and LeFour as they embark on a journey with LeFou’s step-sister, Tilly (Middleton). When a surprising revelation from Tilly’s past comes to light, it sends the trio on an unexpected mission filled with romance, comedy, and adventure.
A Beauty and the Beast prequel series has been in the works at Disney for the past couple of years, with this recent incarnation developed and written by Gad alongside Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. The trio was on board as executive producers and co-showrunners, with the Tony Award-nominated Liesl Tommy directing the first episode. Alan Menken, who scored both the 1991 and 2017 movies, was to write the soundtrack of the series.
Confirming the news on Twitter, Gad wrote, “Sadly, ‘Tis true. We tried to make it all work but under the gun it wasn’t meant to be… for now. These characters and this story will live on, but sometimes the best intentions & reality collide & nothing can be done.”
He followed up by saying, “But… we truly hope we get to make it when our schedules allow.”
But… we truly hope we get to make it when our schedules allow. pic.twitter.com/A3UpgRXKCg
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) February 10, 2022
Beauty and the Beast, TBA, Disney+
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