New ‘Beauty + The Beast’ Movie to Feature Disney’s First ‘Exclusively Gay Moment’
The forthcoming live-action Beauty and the Beast, which stars Emma Watson, will feature what director Bill Condon is calling Disney's first "exclusively gay moment."
In an interview with Attitude, Condon says the live-action remake will make history by giving the character of LeFou, played by Josh Gad, a more pronounced (and sexually driven) storyline. In the 1991 cartoon, LeFou is the villain Gaston's lowly sidekick, and often hangs on Gaston's every word.
"LeFou is somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston," Condon said, and added that the character will be much more complex in the remake.
"He’s confused about what he wants," he continued. "It’s somebody who’s just realizing 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."
The choice to explore LeFou's gay storyline is a tribute to original film's lyricist Howard Ashman, who died of AIDS before the film premiered. Condon said Ashman viewed the Beast's plight as a parallel to his own.
"Specifically for him it was a metaphor for AIDS,” Condon said. “He was cursed and this curse had brought sorrow on all those people who loved him and maybe there was a chance for a miracle and a way for the curse to be lifted. It was a very concrete thing that he was doing.”
Beauty and the Beast hits theaters on March 17.
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