'Beauty and the Beast' live-action spinoff focusing on Gaston in the works
A Beauty and the Beast spinoff movie centered on the antagonist, Gaston, is in development at Disney.
The movie is set to be written by David Callaham, who also helmed Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and the Godzilla x Kong: Supernova set for 2027, per reports by international outlets Variety and Deadline.
More details, including its plot, cast members, and the director, have yet to be announced. Per Deadline, insiders said it will have a fresh, original take with a distinctly "swashbuckling" tone.
Gaston, first introduced in the 1992 animated classic, is a boastful hunter who refuses to accept Belle’s repeated rejection of his advances.
Luke Evans brought the character to life in Disney’s 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, but he is not anticipated to reprise the part. The studio is instead opting for a new interpretation of the character, with a different actor set to take on the role.
There were plans of making a television spinoff about Gaston with Evans set to reprise the role, but it was eventually scrapped.
Beauty and the Beast follows the story of a selfish prince who is cursed to live as a Beast until he finds true love. Belle, a kind and intelligent young woman, takes her father’s place as the Beast’s prisoner.
The live-action film garnered over $1.26 billion at the global box office.