Disney Abruptly Halts Production On 'Beauty And The Beast' Prequel Series

The Walt Disney Co. DIS has pulled the plug on the “Beauty and the Beast” prequel series for Disney+ just as the production was beginning to take shape.

What Happened: According to a Deadline report citing input from unnamed sources, the eight-episode series was scheduled to begin in the early spring in the U.K. Shooting was pushed back into summer after problems arose with the scripts and the original music being created for the production.

The problems have yet to be resolved in a satisfactory manner, necessitating another delay. Rescheduling the series for an autumn shoot in the U.K. was not an option due to the local weather and the availability of the on-screen talent.

Luke Evans and Josh Gad were scheduled to reprise their roles as Gaston and LeFou from the 2017 live-action “Beauty and Beast,” with Gad also serving as co-writer and co-executive producer.

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What Happens Next: Disney did not announce if the production would pick up in 2023. Gad acknowledged the shutdown on his Twitter TWTR page, tweeting, “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.”

Although intended as a prequel to “Beauty and the Beast,” neither of the title characters were planned for the new series, which would have focused on Gaston and LeFou plus LeFou’s step-sister, Tilly (played by Briana Middleton) in what Disney described as an “unexpected journey filled with romance, comedy, and adventure.” The 2017 film had a global box office gross of $1.2 billion.

Photo: Josh Gad and Luke Evans in the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast,” courtesy of Disney.