Beauty and the Beast Disney+ Prequel Series Not Moving Forward
The Disney+ prequel series for Beauty and the Beast is not moving forward at the streamer, with behind-the-scenes creative reasons being the cause. Deadline reports the direction of the show's scripts were an issue, along with a delay in the original music. Ultimately, the decision was made to pull the plug since production had already been pushed back from the early spring to summertime. The cast, which includes the returning Josh Gad and Luke Evans, would have traveled to the UK for a planned summer 2022 shoot. Another hiccup in the scheduling would have involved the cast already having other duties if filming was pushed back into the fall, plus the worry over UK weather.
Interestingly, Rita Orr had reportedly just joined the Beauty and the Beast prequel cast three days ago. Orr's addition was announced during the Disney Branded Television Winter Press Tour Presentation for the Television Critics Association. "I can't keep the secret any longer! I'm beyond excited to be joining the cast of the Beauty and the Beast prequel series," Ora tweeted in response to the news. "As a child, I remember watching Beauty and the Beast with my family over and over and immediately falling in love with the music and characters. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined joining this fairytale world."
Gad and Evans were to reprise their roles as LeFou and Gaston, respectively, in the Beauty and the Beast prequel. Other cast members include Briana Middleton (The Tender Bar) as Tilly, LeFou's step-sister; Fra Fee (Marvel's Hawkeye) as the charismatic Prince Benoit Berlioz; and Jelani Alladin (The Walking Dead: World Beyond) as the cool and quick-witted artist Jean-Michel.
According to Gad, Beauty and the Beast was to be the "most ambitious" project he's ever worked on. "I can tell you right now that it is one of the most ambitious projects I've ever been a part of," Gad told Collider. "Luke and I are so excited about bringing these characters back to life alongside a brilliant and unique new talent in Briana Middleton playing this incredible new character named Tilly. Liesl Tommy, who's our director, is planning to do some unbelievably ambitious things with this series as well as our showrunners, Adam [Horowitz] and Eddie [Kitsis], who are really, really, really going places I think audiences are not necessarily ready for. I cannot be more excited about this show. I think it's going to be enormously special."
The synopsis for the series reads: "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 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."