Disney’s 2017 live-action “Beauty and the Beast” was one of their better live-action remakes. It had amazing musical numbers, good casting, and it captured the heart of its animated predecessor. However, was anyone asking for a spin-off centered around the film’s villain, Gaston? Well, whether you asked for it or not, you’re going to get it.
The “Beauty and the Beast” Gaston Spin-Off
As reported by Deadline, the Gaston spin-off of “Beauty and the Beast” is being written by Dave Callaham, and the film will be produced by Michelle Rejwan, who worked on several of Disney’s “Star Wars” projects. There is currently no director attached to the project, but the film was conceived as a TV series before being converted into a movie.
Although Gaston was played by Luke Evans in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast,” Deadline reports that “ sources say it will be a new and original version with a new actor, and that the film will have ‘swashbuckling’ tones to it. Insiders say the studio is high on the idea.” This could mean that the film will center around Gaston’s early days as a soldier. The remake gave the character a vague backstory where he was a soldier, so perhaps Disney will do something with that.
But . . . Why? Who Was Asking For This?
Were you asking for a live-action Gaston movie? Probably not, but that’s never stopped Disney before. After the success of “Mufasa: The Lion King,” the prequel to the remake of “The Lion King,” Disney likely smelled money and decided to make more prequels to their live-action remakes. Still, if they were going to make a “Beauty and the Beast” prequel, why did they choose to center it around the one-dimensional narcissistic villain?
Now, prequels that explore how villains came to be the way they are can be interesting. For example, the “Star Wars” prequels gave Darth Vader a compelling backstory that added nuance to the character. Still, Vader had depth in the original trilogy, while Gaston is a narcissist who can’t handle anyone beating him at anything. How do you make a compelling backstory for that kind of character?
Whether We Want It Or Not, We’re Getting It
While Disney remakes seemed to be slowing down when last year’s “Snow White” disappointed at the box office, they quickly regained their momentum when the remake of “Lilo and Stitch” grossed a billion dollars. Still, it seems like a “Beauty and the Beast” prequel that centers around Belle or the Beast would make a more interesting story than a story about Gaston.
