Beauty and the Beast: Gaston and LeFou

[Atlantica]

Gosh, this came out of left field ! Of all characters to develop into a TV show, these two wouldn't be my pick.

If they went the villain route, Ursula & Triton maybe ? How she became banished ( if they didn't use the dropped sibling storyline ). Or like you guys have said, focus on the Enchantress and who she was...and what made her pick the Beast etc.

[JeanGreyForever]

My idea was to have the kiss not work and then Hans resorts to killing Elsa because he thinks that that's the only way to save everyone (including Anna), but that's probably too complex for Frozen. I also would've given Elsa a moment where she chooses to do the right thing (like Moana or Simba) instead of being forced into the situation, give her more agency, cause in the final film she's kind of passive.
I don't really have a problem with Anna and Kristoff except of how underdeveloped they are...to the point that the filmmakers really had no idea what to do with them in the sequel.

I've heard that a lot and I agree that it would have worked better if Hans truly believed he was doing right by killing Elsa and not maliciously trying to murder her to take over the kingdom. Anna could have collapsed before she could get Hans to kiss her if they want to skip the kiss altogether and as such, Hans would assume the worst.

I remember a lot of complaints at the scene where Elsa just automatically comes to the conclusion that love thaws.

Anna and Kristoff were insufferable in Frozen II. Anna was so clingy with Elsa and plain annoying in almost every scene. Kristoff was literally just there to be there and he's literally taken out of the story unceremoniously halfway through. Actually Anna reminded me a lot of how Finn was in TROS in comparison to Elsa and Rey respectively.

[Disney Duster]

I remember a lot of complaints at the scene where Elsa just automatically comes to the conclusion that love thaws[...]

[...] Actually Anna reminded me a lot of how Finn was in TROS in comparison to Elsa and Rey respectively.

But Anna's act of love is what made the magic thaw. It's not that hard to figure love was what they needed, lol. And what and who are you referring to in the last sentence?

[Sotiris]

This means the series has been in development for at least four months.

Multiple sources say Walden has, in fact, become a lot more involved in recent months. The executive, who oversees three of the eight production entities that feed Disney+, is taking an active role in pitch meetings and development on projects that the TV studios are making for Disney+. She and ABC Studios president Jonnie Davis were both in a November meeting about a live-action Beauty and the Beast prequel series starring Josh Gad and Luke Evans, a source says.

Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ ... nt-1283260

[Disney's Divinity]

Gosh, this came out of left field ! Of all characters to develop into a TV show, these two wouldn't be my pick.

My thoughts, too, although Evans and Gad were fantastic in the film itself. Perhaps this is the end result of those ideas about a B&tB sequel. They were centered around Gaston becoming the new 'beast' who learns the error of his ways... Since I think Disney ultimately did not want to make a theatrical sequel to B&tB, we ended up with a Disney+ throwaway product.

[JeanGreyForever]

I remember a lot of complaints at the scene where Elsa just automatically comes to the conclusion that love thaws[...]

[...] Actually Anna reminded me a lot of how Finn was in TROS in comparison to Elsa and Rey respectively.

But Anna's act of love is what made the magic thaw. It's not that hard to figure love was what they needed, lol. And what and who are you referring to in the last sentence?

The complaint was that it took all this time for Elsa to realize that and when she finally did realize it, she figured it out within a few seconds and that it felt hamfisted.

The new Star Wars film.

[Disney Duster]

Hm. I guess I feel like since love was denied her all her life, she didn't think of love. So then, her sister showing love for her really clicked. I also didn't feel it was hamfisted, but that's my opinion.

Oh, Star Wars. Usually I try to see those in theaters but somehow it never happened. Rental! I like Star Wars, but it's not a top favorite series of mine. It's just those films you have to see somehow.

[Farerb]

Hm. I guess I feel like since love was denied her all her life, she didn't think of love. So then, her sister showing love for her really clicked. I also didn't feel it was hamfisted, but that's my opinion.

Character growth shouldn't happen in the last second, it's something that's supposed to be developed gradually throughout the film.

[Sotiris]

Alan Menken confirmed he's working on the project.

Q: What are you working on right now?

Alan Menken: I have a prequel to Beauty and the Beast that's going to be on Disney+.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTv0Sc4TPRE

[Disney's Divinity]

Too bad I'll never see this. Maybe they'll release any music for it though. Luke Evans has an album of covers (not Disney-related) coming out actually.

[Disney Duster]

Hm. I guess I feel like since love was denied her all her life, she didn't think of love. So then, her sister showing love for her really clicked. I also didn't feel it was hamfisted, but that's my opinion.

Character growth shouldn't happen in the last second, it's something that's supposed to be developed gradually throughout the film.

I don't see her realizing something as character growth that needed to happen over time. You can realize something such as the answer to a math problem in an instant.

[Sotiris]

Josh Gad posted on his Twitter and Instagram accounts a photo of live-action Gaston and LeFou with the caption "Things are brewing." Donny Osmond commented on it *shushing face emoji*, *winking face emoji*, and *grinning face emoji* which probably means he's involved with the project.

[blackcauldron85]

^ Donny Osmond is doing the Disney Family SingAlong on ABC, so maybe he's involved w/ more than just Shang these days...?

[Sotiris]

Q: What can you tell us about working on that project?

Eddy Kitsis: Well, we can't say much just because it's just a pilot right now. There's nothing for sure about it like anything in Hollywood. But what we can tell you is we're doing a six-episode limited series that we're creating with Josh Gad and Luke Evans and Josh [Gad] will be reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou. And we're very lucky to have Alan Menken come and do the music. So that's what we're doing during this quarantine right now. It's writing that. What happens.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1e-Bi2-WzQ

[Sotiris]

We still don't know who's writing the lyrics for this project. I really hope they're bringing Tim Rice back to do it.

This week I may or may not have heard a few new Alan Menken songs for something in the works and I may or may not be quaking with excitement.

Source: https://twitter.com/joshgad/status/1264616148332474369

[Disney's Divinity]

Yes, I hope so as well. At least they did bring back Menken.

[Sotiris]

Luke Evans talks about the upcoming series.

Q: I absolutely loved your work as Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. There’s something so delightfully fun about Gaston and LeFou. Is that what made you want to reprise the role alongside Josh Gad for a Disney+ series?

Luke Evans: Oh, absolutely. Josh and I, even when we were working on Beauty and the Beast, I recall, as two human beings, we liked each other a lot. We made each other laugh, we respected each other’s talent, and we had a great time. Even then, we were talking about what we could do and wanting to find another project. We’ve been searching, for the last several years, projects and scripts and ideas and concepts. In the back of our minds, we definitely had thoughts about revisiting Gaston and LeFou in a different story, obviously. So, when the idea really came to fruition and we got on board some incredible writers, and Josh, especially, had an incredible idea that, once it was born, it just flew itself. And when we pitched the idea to Disney+, they were very excited about it. Now, we’re in fully fledged development. The second and third episodes have been written and we’ve heard some of the music by Alan Menken. We’re just so honored to have him on board, writing the music, which is extraordinary, in itself. We feel so lucky to have this talented group of people creating a story about two much loved and much hated characters, but that’s the excitement. There are a lot of questions about, where we will start? What we will tell? !ho are these people? When you visit them, where will they be? So, it’s going to be a really fun experience. Me and Josh are literally vibrating with excitement to shoot it.

Q: Because we’ve been told that it takes place before the events of the film, does it feel like that will allow audiences to understand Gaston a little bit more? Do you feel like he’s someone who’s misunderstood, or do you think this will just reinforce what we already think of him?

Luke Evans: Well, you’ll just have to wait and see. That’s all I’m going to say.

Q: Gaston is a character that seems like there might be a little bit more to him than we think there is.

Luke Evans: Well, no human being is one layer. There are many, many chapters to our lives, and they all inform the character and who we are. There’s a lot of intrigue, as to who these people might have been, and how they became who they were. But you’ll just have to wait to see. I’m not going to spoil it for you.

Source: https://collider.com/luke-evans-intervi ... sney-plus/

Q: You and Josh Gad are also starring in the “Beauty and the Beast” prequel series for Disney Plus about Gaston and LeFou. Tell me everything.

Luke Evans: Josh and I have read two or three episodes now. We’ve heard some of the new songs written by Mr. [Alan] Menken himself. We are so excited about this. It’s going to be a joy to work with Josh again. Me and Josh have chemistry. As friends we had it, and luckily it transferred to the screen and people got it. It’s going to be a joy to bring to life a new story that no one knows. It’s all come together very nicely, rather quickly actually, and hopefully production will start sometime next year.

Q: Who are we going to see making cameos from the movie?

Luke Evans: Oh, my God. I mean a smorgasbord of cameos — can you imagine? [Laughs] You never know who will pop up on this show.

Q: Did you ever think when you were making the movie, “You know what? There’s a limited series in here for a backstory.”

Luke Evans: Because we were sort of the fun characters that people laughed at, we would often talk about doing an at-home with Gaston and LeFou, or LeFou and Gaston go on a road trip, or LeFou and Gaston have a cooking show, or a men’s [gym]. It went on and on and on. Fans put our names together and made us GaFou. No, we didn’t think it, but we joked about it a lot.

Source: https://variety.com/2020/tv/podcasts/lu ... 234707329/

[UmbrellaFish]

I know I sound like a broken record, but I have not one iota of interest in this project unless it makes good on the creative team’s 2017 press tour claims that LeFou would be Disney’s first gay character by actually exploring and fleshing out his sexuality in this Disney+ project. It would be another slap in the face to once again do otherwise.

There’s also a part of me that thinks a lot of these are vanity projects (The Muppets, Hunchback) that will never see the light of day and only given to appease Gad (who is a big Disney fan and probably feels like he found the keys to the kingdom) as they use him for things the studio actually wants like more Olaf media and that Honey, I Shrunk the Kids thing...

[JeanGreyForever]

I like Luke Evans a lot and his portrayal of Gaston so I'll probably watch this.

[Disney Duster]

I'm with you UmbrellaFish.