Disney Puts Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series on Hold

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Disney Puts Beauty and the Beast Prequel Series on Hold

Production on Disney’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast prequel series has been delayed.

THR is reporting that the Disney+ musical spin-off series has been put on hold due to “delays with creative elements and scheduling challenges with its cast.” The plan is still to eventually go forward with the series, although it’s unknown if stars Josh Gad and Luke Evans will still be attached once it is put into production. The delay comes just days after Rita Ora was confirmed to be joining the cast, alongside Gad, Evans, Briana Middleton, Fra Fee, and Jelani Alladin.

The eight-episode Beauty and the Beast prequel series is being developed, executive-produced, and written by Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz (Once Upon a Time), and each is also serving as a co-showrunner. The series’ creative team also includes Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed), who has come on board as an executive producer and will direct the first episode.

The project will feature an original soundtrack from the EGOT Award-winning composer Alan Menken, who will also serve as executive producer, and lyrics for the first episode will be by Oscar-nominee Glenn Slater (Tangled). Production will begin later this year.

Beauty and the Beast is executive produced by Gad, Kitsis, Horowitz, Menken, and Tommy and produced by Evans. Gad, Kitsis, and Horowitz are co-showrunners and writers for the limited series. The soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records.