The tale as old as time is about to receive a huge update.
The live-action Beauty and the Beast revival will debut Disney's first openly gay character when it hits theaters on March 17. Director Bill Condon revealed to Attitude that Gaston's comical sidekick LeFou, played by Josh Gad, will explore his sexuality during a subplot alteration.
"LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” Condon said in the interview. “He’s confused about what he wants. It’s somebody who’s just realising that he has these feelings. And Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it. And that’s what has its payoff at the end, which I don’t want to give away. But it is a nice, exclusively gay moment in a Disney movie.”
On playing the House of Mouse's first-ever LGBTQ character, Gad said he is "beyond proud" of Disney's new major benchmark on Twitter. The milestone will be a dedication to the original film's late lyricist Howard Ashman, who died before the animated hit premiered in theaters.
The reboot of the 1991 classic will star Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the beast and the prince, Luke Evans as Gaston, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts.
Ariana Grande and John Legend partnered to give Céline Dion and Peabo Bryson's "Tale As Old As Time" a modern rework for the upcoming reboot.