The fact that a “gay moment” in Disney’s live action remake of Beauty and the Beastcaused controversy back in 2017 when it was released is reinforcement that we continue to make progress in terms of LGBTQ+ representation. In 2021, would it have been as big a deal?
The much-hyped moment amounted to a mere few seconds at the end of the film in which LeFou (played with gusto by the talented Josh Gad) dances with another man. Still, the scene was groundbreaking in the sense that it finally confirmed for audiences that LeFou’s affections for his hunky BFF, Gaston (played by out gay actor Luke Evans), could possibly be more than platonic.
Since then, the sexual tension (whether real or imagined) between the two male characters has become a source of humor and fantasy for queer fans — who will be excited to learn that a new prequel series focusing on Gaston and LeFou is in the works, as announced on Deadline this week.
Tentatively titled, Beauty and the Best, the project will be a limited eight-episode musical series to stream on Disney+ and will focus on Gaston, LeFou, and the events leading up to the Beauty and the Beast story. To fans of the live-action film’s delight, Evans and Gad will be reprising the key roles and will be joined by actress Briana Middleton will also playing LeFou’s stepsister, Tilly.
Not too many details are known about the series’ plot, but the official announcement promises the three main characters will find themselves on an adventure together that has to do with revelations from Tilly’s past. The big question for LGBTQ+ audiences is whether or not the series will delve further into LeFou’s sexuality — or continue to risk accusations of queerbaiting, which many critics said the film was guilty of.
“For anyone who’s ever wondered how a brute like Gaston and a goof like LeFou could have ever become friends and partners, or how a mystical enchantress came to cast that fateful spell on the prince-turned-beast, this series will finally provide those answers...and provoke a whole new set of questions,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer at Disney Branded Television, in the announcement.
Legendary composer and EGOT-winner Alan Menkin, who also wrote the music for the film, will produce and score the series, which is set to start filming in the spring of 2022.
