'Beauty and the Beast' prequel series put on hold at Disney Plus

Washington [US], February 11 : Disney Plus has put the TV spinoff of 'Beauty and the Beast' on hold amid delays with creative elements and scheduling challenges with its cast.
Sources close to the streamer said that the show will eventually be made though it's unclear if the cast, including film stars Josh Gad and Luke Evans, will be available when (and if) that comes to pass, reported The Hollywood Reporter.
In March 2020, it was reported that the project was developed as a six-episode series that would feature Gad and Evans reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou, respectively, in an origin story for the beloved characters.
The show was picked up to series with an eight-episode order in June 2021 with Briana Middleton cast as LeFou's stepsister, Tilly.
Production on the show was set to begin this spring but was pushed to the summer in Europe in a bid to film in beautiful weather.
Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that some creative elements were not far enough along to accommodate that timeline.
Scheduling challenges with the cast also are a factor as some talent had hard outs for other projects beginning in August. With the window of availability shrinking, Disney Plus has opted to put the series on hold for the time being.
The pandemic, it's worth noting, has made scheduling a considerable challenge as actors, writers, directors and factors like soundstage and location availability was turned upside down following the industrywide production shutdown in 2020.
The news comes days after Disney Plus announced that British pop star Rita Ora was set to join the cast of the series, which also was to feature Fra Fee and Jelani Alladin. It's unclear if the current cast will be able to return when and if a new timeline opens up.
The show takes place years before the events of 'Beauty and the Beast' and follows Gaston and LeFou as they set off with LeFou's stepsister, Tilly, after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light.