'Beauty and the Beast' gets a live-action spinoff, and the villain obsessed with Belle is the star
Disney is once again digging into its fairy-tale vault, this time with plans to give one of its most notorious villains the spotlight. The studio is quietly developing a live-action film centered on Gaston, the swaggering antagonist from 'Beauty and the Beast'. This means that audiences may soon see a very different side of the character who once terrorized Belle's provincial town. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is still in its earliest phase, with story details being kept tightly under wraps. What is clear, however, is that Disney is betting there's more narrative ground to explore when it comes to Gaston.
He's a figure best known for his exaggerated bravado, obsession with Belle, and ultimate downfall. The most recent draft of the screenplay was written by Dave Callaham, a screenwriter with experience in large-scale studio projects. He stepped in after an earlier version was developed by Kate Herron and Briony Redman. Longtime Disney collaborator Michelle Rejwan is attached as producer. 'Beauty and the Beast' has long been one of Disney's most celebrated properties. The animated film, released in 1991 and inspired by the classic French fairy tale, was a cultural phenomenon.
It followed Belle, an intelligent and independent young woman who sacrifices her freedom to save her father and ends up living in an enchanted castle with a cursed prince. The film didn't just succeed commercially; it made history. It earned six Academy Award nominations, won two Oscars, and became the first animated feature ever nominated for Best Picture. Gaston himself became an instant standout among Disney villains. Voiced by Richard White in the animated original, the character was designed as a parody of traditional fairy-tale heroes: handsome, physically imposing, and deeply insecure beneath the surface.
His popularity carried over into Disney’s 2017 live-action remake, where Luke Evans brought the character to life opposite Emma Watson's Belle and Dan Stevens' Beast, as per Variety. Directed by Bill Condon, that film proved to be a juggernaut, earning more than $1.26 billion worldwide. The potential 'Gaston' film fits squarely into Disney's ongoing live-action strategy. While not every remake has met expectations, the overall approach continues to pay off. A live-action 'Tangled' adaptation is reportedly back on track after a brief pause, and recent releases have shown that audiences still have an appetite for these reworked fairy tales.
The live-action 'Lilo & Stitch' became a hit, and Barry Jenkins' 'Mufasa: The Lion King' prequel delivered solid results. Disney has also found particular success when shifting perspective to focus on its villains. The 2014 film 'Maleficent', starring Angelina Jolie, reframed the 'Sleeping Beauty' antagonist as a tragic, misunderstood figure and spawned a sequel. Similarly, 2021's 'Cruella' offered a punk-rock origin story for '101 Dalmatians' villain Cruella de Vil, with Emma Stone earning praise for her performance. A 'Gaston'-centered movie appears to follow that same playbook, potentially transforming a one-note villain into a more complex, layered character.
