PONTYPOOL-BORN Hollywood superstar Luke Evans and Josh Gad will reprise their roles for a Beauty And The Beast prequel series for Disney+.

The eight-episode prequel, set before the events of the 2017 live-action film, will see the duo return Gaston and LeFou, while Briana Middleton will join the cast as LeFou’s sister Tilly.

The musical series will feature an original soundtrack from Alan Menken, the composter behind the 1991 animated film.

Song lyrics for the first episode will be by Oscar-nominee Glenn Slater, who previously worked on Tangled.

MORE NEWS:

It will be set years before the Beast and Belle’s romance and will follow Gaston, LeFou and Tilly after a surprising revelation from her past comes to light, sending the unlikely trio off on an unexpected journey.

Mysteries of the past will be uncovered as dangers of the present grow, and old friends and new enemies reveal the secrets of the kingdom, according to Disney.

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.”

Mr Gad will also serve as one of the showrunners, as well as an executive producer and writer, alongside Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz.

Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature, 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.”

Production on the series will begin in the spring of 2022.