Disney's Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans has revealed new information regarding the upcoming Gaston spin-off series on Disney+. This new show will be joining a wide lineup of original content based on previously existing Disney properties, in the hopes of drawing more users to the new streaming platform. It was first announced earlier this year as a spinoff from the 2017 live-action film.
The new Gaston show is a fantasy prequel to the Beauty and the Beast story, and will specifically include characters from the 2017 live-action adaptation of the original animated classic. The plot will center around the film’s villain Gaston, played by Evans, and his partner-in-crime LeFou, played by Josh Gad. Even since the original Beauty and the Beast, Gaston has been a unique character, but Evans in particular was enough of a standout to warrant his own television show.
Now, in an interview with Collider, Evans had given more details about the series and where the idea for it came from. Evans describes having a very good dynamic with his co-star Gad, and explains that the two of them wanted to pursue a project together after Beauty and the Beast wrapped. The two actors wanted to focus more on the new relationship between Gaston and LeFou that they had created, and used that idea as their pitch for Disney+. He goes on to say that the show is now in pre-production, with three episodes already written and original music from Disney superstar Alan Menken on the way. Evans concludes by expressing his excitement for the project: “It’s going to be a really fun experience. Me and Josh are literally vibrating with excitement to shoot it.”
Though we now know that the project will focus on the new dynamic between Gaston and LeFou, the true nature of their relationship is still unclear. Upon the 2017 film’s release, Disney made headlines claiming LeFou as the first canonically gay character in a Disney film. However, despite the media attention, the scene in question was actually a very small moment with LeFou and an unnamed character dancing, and was not highlighted by the filmmakers or addressed anywhere else in the film. It is possible that with LeFou as a more central character in this spin-off, Disney could choose to focus more on his sexuality.
The Gaston series could be a way for Disney to redeem themselves and include true LGBT+ representation. The lack of gay and trans characters in modern Disney films is notable, and with the power and influence Disney has, a positive representation of an LGBT+ character could go a long way towards normalizing gay relationships for a younger audience. The Disney+ show doesn’t necessarily need to put LeFou and Gaston in a relationship together, it just needs to take the Beauty and the Beast characters in a new direction and explore their potential.
Source: Collider