Disney's Beauty And The Beast TV Series Is On Hold

The Beauty & The Beast live-action series for Disney+ is not going ahead, at least not yet. This is according to a report from Deadline, which says the decision to pause the show was due to creative reasons. The show was scheduled to begin filming this summer in the UK. Luke Evans and Josh Gad, who were set to star on the show, have reacted to the news that it's not going forward.

"According to sources, the call not to proceed with the show was made for creative reasons, with the scripts and original music not coming together in the direction expected or running behind schedule," Deadline reported. "With a number of creative elements up in the air and the shoot's start already pushed from early spring to summer, a decision was made to put the project on hold. Pushing filming further into the fall was not an option because of talent availability and weather concerns, sources said."

Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as LeFou were to reprise their characters from the 2017 film, which made more than $1.2 billion at the box office. The show was pitched as a prequel that takes place before Beast and Belle fall in love, with the story focusing on Gaston and LeFou going on an adventure with LeFou's step-sister, Tilly (Briana Middleton), in a story that would involve "romance, comedy, and adventure."

According to the report, Disney is not giving up on the show. The company remains intent on eventually producing and releasing the Beauty & The Beast show, the report said, but there is no word on if the existing talent will stay on board for its next iteration.

Gad reacted to the news on Twitter. He wrote, "Sadly, ‘Tis true. We tried to make it all work but under the gun it wasn’t meant to be… for now. These characters and this story will live on, but sometimes the best intentions & reality collide & nothing can be done."

Evans did as well. He said of the news, "We are devastated. Goodbye, for now, from Gaston and LeFou."

While the Beauty & The Beast show might not be going ahead at Disney+ right now, there is plenty more new content coming to the streaming service, including the Obi-Wan show in May.