Image Source: BuzzFeed, Den of Geek, Showbiz Cheat Sheet
So much happening for Rita Ora!
After signing into BMG records, British singer-songwriter-judge and actress Rita Ora has more things to celebrate and she joins the cast of Disney Plus’ upcoming ‘Beauty and The Beast’ prequel and cannot contain her excitement.
The news of Rita Ora joining the cast of Beauty and The Beast’s prequel was announced on Monday during Disney Branded Television’s session at the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour. The eight-episode limited musical series is the prequel to 2017 live-action film and is developed and written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. Liesl Tommy is not only going to direct the pilot episode but also serves as executive producer along with Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.
According to reports from Deadline, “Rita Ora will play a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom in the eight-episode limited musical series”. Rita Ora also took to her social media to announce the news of her casting to her fans as she wrote, “I can’t keep the secret any longer! I’m beyond excited to be joining the cast of the Beauty and the Beast prequel series! As a child, I remember watching Beauty and the Beast with my family over and over and immediately falling in love with the music and characters. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined joining this fairytale world. To everyone that helped make this happen, I am forever grateful. Thank you to Disney+, my CAA squad - Dan, Joella, and Tracy - Shari, and my management family. Lately I just feel like all my dreams are coming true! Life is feeling like a Disney movie!”
Luke Evans and Josh Gad are going to reprise their roles as Gaston and LeFou and the prequel series is probably going to provide the audience to sympathize a little more with the actions of the characters that are portrayed as villains until now. The Tender Bar fame actress Briana Middleton as the female lead, Tilly, will join them. Jelani Alladin is going to portray Jean-Michel who is a talented artist with a quick wit and a sharp intellect and a fierce independent streak.
Alan Menken has already penned down songs for the series which was revealed during Disney’s Investor Day in December 2020. Alan also told to Variety later, "I'm excited about the projects I'm doing. I'm working on 'Disenchanted' and a new 'Beauty and the Beast' prequel, 'The Little Town.'" Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Branded Television said, “For anyone who’s ever wondered how a brute like Gaston and a goof like LeFou could have ever become friends and partners, or how a mystical enchantress came to cast that fateful spell on the prince-turned-beast, this series will finally provide those answers…and provoke a whole new set of questions.”
Luke Evans and Josh Gad. Image Source: Comic Book
Jonnie Davis, President ABC Signature also said, “There are few more precious gems in the Disney library than this iconic franchise, and this prequel is both a love letter to what’s come before and its own spectacular adventure. Josh, Eddy and Adam’s vision gives us a window into the origin of Luke’s Gaston and Josh’s LeFou with the twist of a new partner in crime—Tilly, played by the luminous Briana Middleton. This dream team would not be complete without the genius Alan Menken returning to write even more glorious music for the franchise he helped create. We’re so grateful to Gary, Ayo, Michael and everyone at Disney Branded Television and Disney+ for their unwavering support. We cannot wait to start shooting.”
Michael Paull, President of Disney + and ESPN+ said, “For three decades, this tale as old as time has inspired generations of fans around the world. We can’t wait to welcome our guests back to the magical and musical world of Beauty and the Beast for an all new chapter with LeFou, Gaston, and a fantastic new cast of characters.” Josh Gad shared with Variety about his character, "You're going to have to tune in when this show airs to see what we're working up, but in the process of working on it, we're asking ourselves every relevant question about these characters and endeavoring to do right by them and by this world. I think that we have origin stories here that are unbelievably exciting because they're unexpected. And I think 'expect the unexpected' is all I can really say. And not just with regard to LeFou and Gaston but to a lot of the new characters that we're introducing."
The production of the prequel will begin in the spring of 2022.
