Disney's latest live-action adaptation, Beauty and the Beast, has been an (unsurprising) smash hit at the box office, although fan and critical reaction has been mixed. Still, as a huge financial success, this paves the way for Disney to continue to create live-action adaptations of our favorite animated classics, as well as potential Beauty and the Beast spinoff. While the film is almost identical to the original, there were, however, a few changes made along the way. Some of these delighted fans, although others left us a little bit cold - but we did love the Easter eggs and references that were scattered throughout.
Now we have learned that there could have been one more Easter egg in the film, had one of the stars gotten his way - and it would have linked Beauty and the Beast to one of Disney's best-loved animated features: Frozen.
In an interview with People, Josh Gad (who plays LeFou in the film) said that he would have loved to see one of the original scenes make it into the live-action version, especially as a reference to his role in Frozen as the voice of Olaf the snowman.
The Easter egg I fought for [director] Bill Condon to put in but we never did, there’s a moment in the original where a bunch of snow falls on LeFou and he becomes a snowman and I thought, this could kill. It’s a little meta but it could be great.
Gad is referencing a scene in the 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast film where Gaston tells LeFou to stand watch outside of Belle and her father's house, and let him know when they get home. LeFou is frustrated at being left there, and punches the side of the house, causing snow to fall on top of him. Belle and her father are not at home at the time because Belle is at the castle, and her father is slowly freezing to death in the forest trying to save her. It is winter, and LeFou has to wait a long time for Belle to rescue her father and bring him home. When they do, we see the two coming into the house, before a snowman by the front steps shakes and the snow falls off to reveal LeFou had been hiding as the snowman, covered in the white stuff and holding two sticks for arms.
This would have been fantastic to see in the live-action movie, especially as we love inside jokes for Disney fans! However, it makes sense that it didn't happen. In the new version, it is not winter everywhere, but only around the castle where the snow is part of the enchantment. Gaston (Luke Evans) also doesn't have to wait for Belle's father to get home in order to try to have him sent to the asylum, and he returns to the village without her. Still, we would have loved to see Gad's Olaf make an appearance, just for the fun of it.
Next: Why Beauty & the Beast’s Biggest Changes Weaken the Story
Source: People
