BEAUTY and the Beast characters Gaston and LeFou are getting their own spin-off series on streaming service Disney+.
The breakout stars of the live action version of the famous film will have their origin story told in a six-episode musical miniseries.
Actors Luke Evans and Josh Gad will reprise their roles of arrogant hunter Gaston and his devoted henchman LeFou in the series, which is yet to be named, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It will be set before the action of the film, which sees heroine Belle turn down Gaston's marriage proposal, much to his surprise.
At this stage no other stars of the 2017 film, including Emma Watson or Dan Stevens, have signed up for the series, but sources have suggested they may appear as guest stars at some point.
And celebrated composer Alan Menken, who penned songs for both the 1991 cartoon version of the film and the remake, is also in talks to return.
The characters of LeFou and Gaston made international headlines after Disney revealed Josh's character was gay, making him Disney's first openly gay character.
Beauty and the Beast was almost banned in Russia and Malaysia because of a "gay moment" in the film, which shows LeFou struggling with his feelings for Gaston.
But Russia allowed it go ahead with a higher rating and Malaysia demanded the scene be cut from the film if it was to be allowed in cinemas.
As well as reprising the character, Josh, 39, will also act as showrunner and will executive produce the show alongside Evans.
Evans is currently hard at work preparing for a national tour in support of his debut album, At Last.
The album is a mix of modern and classic songs, all handpicked by the Welshman.
Evans, 40, is pinching himself at the prospect of showcasing his talent across the country.
He tweeted: "Just finalised the images for my Tour T-shirts and mugs and merchandise. Didn’t think I’d ever get to do that! Hope you like them!"
The announcement of the new series comes ahead of the launch of Disney+ in the UK.
More than 1000 movies and TV series, many of them available exclusively on the streaming service will launch in the UK on March 24, 2020, having made its US debut last year.
There is an introductory deal of £49.99 for an annual subscription, which is equivalent to just £4.17 per month with that offer valid until March 23.
After this the standard pricing of £5.99 a month or £59.99 a year applies.
Beauty and the Beast was based on the French fairy tale, which tells the story of the story of Belle, a young beauty who is imprisoned by the Beast to help him become a human prince again.
The original 1991 Disney movie became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
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