It seems like Disney's live action movie Beauty and the Beast is slowly completing its cast members, first with Harry Potter alum and UN ambassadress Emma Watson playing the lead role Belle, then The Hobbit actor Luke Evans as Gaston, and Downton Abbey alum Dan Stevens as Beast.
Now, funny man Josh Gad will be joining the cast of Disney's newest venture as Gaston's sidekick LeFou, according to Variety.
LeFou is an extremely loyal character who worships Gaston and does everything he is told to do despite constantly receiving verbal and sometimes physical abuse from his "hero."
The actor who would be portraying him is no stranger to Disney movies, since Gad would be recognizable for voicing the lovable and summer-obsessed snowman Olaf in Disney's most successful animated movie Frozen.
The actor also plays Elder Cunningham in the Broadway musical "Book of Mormon" and he stars opposite Billy Crystal in the new FX comedy "The Comedians."
The director for Beauty and the Beast is Bill Condon while David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman of Mandeville Films are the producers. The script was written by Evan Spiliotopoulos and rewritten by Steve Chbosky, who wrote The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Incidentally, Watson starred in that film alongside Percy Jackson actor Logan Lerman.
She earlier made her Beauty and the Beast news on her Facebook page. The actress wrote: "I'm finally able to tell you... that I will be playing Belle in Disney's new live-action Beauty and the Beast! It was such a big part of my growing up, it almost feels surreal that I'll get to dance to 'Be Our Guest' and sing 'Something There.' My six year old self is on the ceiling - heart bursting."
Disney's recent live action movie Cinderella was by no means a musical, but it seems like Beauty and the Beast will be one since Watson finished her announcement with this statement: "Time to start some singing lessons. I can't wait for you to see it."
The actress is thrilled that she would be working with Stevens and Evans, and she even shared her opinions on her Twitter account. She tweeted Stevens saying, "Could not be more happy that this man will be Beast!!! Welcome aboard."
Stevens replied with "Grrrrr."
Meanwhile, Watson also tweeted Evans "Bonjour Gaston! Welcome!" and Evans replied to her post by posting a picture of himself and an animated Gaston saying, "Why thank you Belle!!"
No release date has been set for the film, but production will start sometime this year.
