Disney is officially digging deeper into the Beauty and the Beast universe, with a live-action Gaston movie now in early development. The project spins out of the 2017 remake and signals Disney’s continued pivot toward standalone origin stories—especially for its most infamous villains—instead of endlessly rehashing the same fairy tales.
The film will put the spotlight on Gaston, the swaggering, self-obsessed hunter played by Luke Evans, whose cartoonish ego, casual misogyny, and fixation on status made him one of Disney’s most unforgettable antagonists. Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the move suggests Disney wants to reframe Gaston as more than a one-note brute, digging into what makes him tick—and why he became the villain audiences love to hate.
Is Anything Confirmed for a Gaston Live Action Movie?
Luke Evans is expected to reprise his role as Gaston, continuing his portrayal from the 2017 film. Josh Gad, who played LeFou, is also attached, suggesting the dynamic between the two characters will remain important to the storyline. Their relationship was one of the most talked-about aspects of the original movie, balancing bravado, dependence, and insecurity.
The project is being developed by Dave Callaham, writer, and Michelle Rejwan, producer. That creative pairing is notable, as their previous separate works often focused on reframing well-known characters by digging into backstories. They put moral gray areas under a microscope instead of separating characters into clear-cut heroes and villains.
How This Fits into Disney’s Strategy
The decision to move ahead with a Gaston live action movie follows a patter Disney has leaned into for years. Projects like Maleficent and Cruella proved there’s a strong audience for stories that reexamine villains or morally questionable characters through a more detailed lens. Everyone wants to know why they are the way they are, why they resort to bad things, and what makes them tick. What is Gaston actually thinking?
The 2017 Beauty and the Beast remake was a huge success, earning over $1.2 billion worldwide. Gaston stood out as a simultaneous physical threat and representation of entitlement, vanity, and fragile, toxic masculinity. That makes him a character Disney can revisit without retelling Belle’s story again.
What the Movie Could Explore
While no plot details have been confirmed, a Gaston-focused story opens several possibilities, and there’s plenty of room for speculation. The film could explore his rise as a celebrated hunter, how his obsession with admiration developed, or the social structure of the village that allowed his behavior to go unchecked.
LeFou’s presence suggests the plot may look at loyalty and power imbalance. In the original film, LeFou functioned as an accomplice and victim, often enabling Gaston while being belittled by him. A standalone movie has room to examine that relationship more closely without the constraints of the original fairy tale.
What seems less likely is a full redemption arc. Gaston has never been misunderstood in the traditional sense. His appeal comes from how recognizable his flaws are, not from hidden nobility. The film may explain him, but it doesn’t excuse him. He’s still villainous.
Where the Project Stands and What Comes Next
The Gaston live action movie doesn’t have a release date yet, and no additional casting has been announced beyond speculated Luke Evans and Josh Gad. However, as with many Disney projects, development will depend on script progress, scheduling, and internal priorities.
It’s also unclear whether the movie will receive a theatrical release or be positioned as a Disney+ exclusive. Disney has increasingly used its streaming platform to test character-driven expansions, especially those tied to established live action hits.
What’s certain is that Gaston remains a character people remember, argue about, and recognize instantly. Disney is betting that curiosity alone is enough to justify a return to that little town full of little people waking up to say bonjour.