‘Beauty and the Beast’ director gets real on film’s ‘exclusively gay moment’

The upcoming live-action “Beauty and the Beast” film is bound to be different, compared to the 1991 classic. This time, the story is expected to feature an openly gay character. The film’s director, Bill Condon says the “exclusively gay moment” has been blown out of proportion.

Spoiler warning for “Beauty and the Beast.”

The gay moment is going to be between Josh Gad’s LeFou and Gaston (Luke Evans) as revealed by the film’s director. Condon teased fans, saying LeFou is “somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston,” he said in an interview with British magazine Attitude.

Those who have seen the 1991 classic would remember LeFou as the secondary antagonist who served as Gaston's miniature, drunkard and bumbling sidekick. He has great respect for Gaston as the latter’s right hand.

“Oh God. Can I just tell you? It’s all been overblown,” Condon exclaimed. The director said he loves the way the moment plays pure when people don’t know so it becomes a nice surprise.

When the director was asked if he wished the audiences can approach the film without knowing about the “exclusively gay moment” as of the moment, it seems it is not something that the director does not worry about. “To not make a big deal of it. Why is it a big deal,” he told Screen Rush.

In the original film, the sexuality of LeFou was never directly addressed. It seems the character will be more controversial in the upcoming film. “Regardless, I'm honoured to have that moment as part of my character’s arc,” Gad told USA Today earlier this month.

The director did not actually confirm that LeFou will be exposed as gay in the film, but he will have a “gay moment.” There could be several interpretations of his statement, such as he might only be referring to “gay” as a fun moment. “I think (LeFou's sexuality) has been a little overstated,” the director told USA Today.

Gaston, on the other hand, is one who could make all girls fall in love with him, except Belle, who will be played by Emma Watson in the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast” film. It looks like Gaston does not only catch the eyes of girls, but guys too. He, however, likes no one but Belle so it is unlikely that the feeling will not be mutual between him and Gad’s character. The 2017 film adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” is expected hit Australian theatres on March 23.