EXCLUSIVE: Disney looks to be taking one of its iconic villains and giving it the live-action spin as sources tell Deadline the studio is in early development on a new live-action pic centered on the Beauty and the Beast character Gaston. Dave Callaham is writing the script with Michelle Rejwan producing. No director is attached at this time. Kate Herron and Briony Redman penned a previous draft.

The character first appeared in the 1992 animated classic as an arrogant and ruthless hunter who had unrequited feelings for the main protagonist Belle and will ultimately the main adversary for the other titular character. Disney would go on to produce a live-action version of the film with Luke Evans playing the part and following the billionaire dollar success of that film at the box-office, there was discussion of doing a TV series centered on the character with Evans reprising the role but that project was scrapped.

While plot details are vague for this version, sources say it will be a completely new and original version with a new actor playing the part with the film having “swashbuckling’ tones to it. Insiders say the studio is very high on the idea.

Rejwan has a long-standing relationship with the studio going back to when she oversaw live-action at Lucasfilm. Some of the projects she produced for the studio over the years include Star Wars: Force Awakens, Andro, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Callaham is no stranger to developing tentpole projects on high-profile characters like Godzilla, King Kong and Spider-Man. Some past writing credits include Godzilla x Kong, The Expendables, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Callaham is repped by UTA and Northstar.