The Disney + video service is working on an eight-part musical prequel to the game remake of the classic Disney cartoon Beauty and the Beast.

Rumors about the project arose back in 2019, but the official confirmation appeared only in mid-June, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Fast and the Furious films) and Josh Gad (Love and Other Medicines) will return to their roles.

In the 2017 film, they played Gaston and Lefou, respectively.

They will be joined by aspiring actress Briana Middleton.

She will play the role of Lefu's half-sister - Tilly.  

The action of the series will unfold many years before the romantic story, the heroes of which were the Beast and Belle.

According to the plot, Gaston, Lefou and Tilly learn about a certain event from the past of the latter.

The news prompts them to embark on an incredible journey full of adventure, danger and romance.

“There are not many gems in the Disney library to compete with this legendary franchise, and this prequel is both a declaration of love and an immersive adventure in its own right,” said ABC Signature Studio President Johnny Davis.

The authors of the project promise that the series will also tell about the origin of some of the key characters in the story, as well as the friendship of such dissimilar characters as Gaston and Lefu.

“For anyone who was interested in how the impudent Gaston and the goof Lefou could ever become friends and partners, or where the mysterious sorceress came from, who cast a fatal spell on the prince who turned into a monster, the series will give long-awaited answers to these questions ... and will cause a whole series of new ones”, - says Gary Marsh, president and creative director of Disney Branded Television.

The showrunner of the series will be Josh Gad himself, along with Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who previously collaborated on the projects "Lost" and "Once Upon a Time".

They will also write the script for the tape and produce it.

As producers, they will be joined by Luke Evans and renowned composer, eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken, whose music sounds in the films Rapunzel: A Tangled Story, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and many others.

The musician will also write the soundtrack for the new series.

Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, who played Belle and the Beast in the 2017 film, are not expected to appear on the series yet, but The Hollywood Reporter does not rule out that they may appear as guest stars.

The series is slated for production in the spring of 2022.

The premiere date is still unknown.

  • © Shot from the cartoon "Beauty and the Beast" (1991)

Disney's cartoon "Beauty and the Beast" based on the European fairy tale version of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont was released in 1991.

The romantic story of the beautiful girl Belle and the cursed Prince Adam, who can only be saved by true love, was appreciated by viewers from all over the world.

The film grossed nearly $ 425 million at the box office and won two Oscars and three Golden Globes.

The project was warmly received by critics, with a freshness rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Experts noted the spectacular musical performances and called the cartoon one of the most elegant Disney animations.

In 1997, the sequel to the film was released - "Beauty and the Beast 2: A Wonderful Christmas", and in 1998, the third part of the franchise appeared - "Belle's Magic World".

The action of both sequels took place during the events of the first cartoon.

The 2017 feature film Beauty and the Beast directed by Bill Condon follows the plot of the 1991 animation project.

The tape has successfully performed at the box office, grossing more than $ 1.264 billion, and received two Oscar nominations - for work as a production designer and costumes.

The rating of the picture was 71% according to the estimates of film critics and 80% according to the reviews of a wide audience.

According to journalists, thanks to the filmmakers' attention to detail, the film became an accurate, but fresh retelling of a familiar plot.

However, some experts found this approach too unoriginal.

In addition, in the picture, Lefu became a character with a non-traditional sexual orientation, and among the prince's courtiers there were blacks, although there was no talk about this in the original source.

This turn has caused a mixed reaction from some viewers.

Over the years, the tale formed the basis of many other film and television projects.

The role of Belle was played by Lea Seyda, Linda Hamilton, Estella Warren and Blanca Suarez, and the monster was played by Vincent Cassel, Ron Perlman, Victor Parascos, Alessandro Preziosi.