Disney Just Announced a Sultry New ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Spinoff, It’s Nothing like the Fairy Tale You Remember

Disney has spent the last several years quietly expanding its library of grown-up reimaginings, testing just how far it can push beloved fairy tales into darker, more mature territory. From twisted villain backstories to alternate timeline retellings, the studio has proven there’s a real appetite for seeing classic characters through a very different lens.

That experimentation has largely lived on the page, spread across novels and graphic adaptations aimed at readers who grew up with these stories but want something with a little more edge. D23 gave Disney the perfect stage to formalize that strategy into something much bigger.

At this year’s event in Anaheim, Disney Publishing officially unveiled “Disney Cursed Love,” a brand-new romantasy initiative built around reimagining some of the studio’s “most iconic love stories” through a darker, more adult lens. The series kicks off with “The Curse of a Forsaken Heart,” a story centered on Belle and the Beast, marking the franchise’s most provocative fairy tale reinterpretation yet.

According to Disney’s own description, the “Disney Cursed Love” series is designed to “engage readers through seductive, action-packed romantasy adventure, entangled in dark magic, terrible curses and epic romance.” It’s a notable tonal shift for a studio traditionally associated with family-friendly storytelling, signaling just how seriously Disney is investing in content for older, more mature fans.

The first installment comes from bestselling romance author Emily McIntire, known for reimagining classic tales through bold new perspectives, with art by illustrator Samairu. The title will debut first as a webcomic on Webtoon before expanding into print formats sometime in 2027, giving fans multiple ways to experience the story.

The plot itself takes Belle and the Beast far beyond their familiar castle. According to Disney’s official synopsis, the pair get pulled into a magical realm through an enchanted stained-glass window, only to discover the fate of that world is tied to a cursed princess named Emberlynne, who once refused a marriage proposal from an evil sorcerer.

That refusal doomed the entire kingdom to live without love, cursing anyone who steps inside its borders, including Belle and the Beast themselves. The two now have to help Emberlynne find her own love story in order to break the curse and find their way back home, blending the studio’s classic romance with a distinctly higher-stakes fantasy plot.

This isn’t Disney’s first attempt at giving “Beauty and the Beast” a darker makeover, either. The studio previously released “As Old as Time,” a Twisted Tale webcomic that reimagined Belle’s mother as the very enchantress who cursed the Beast in the first place, sending the pair on a tangled journey through hidden family history.

“Disney Cursed Love” represents the next evolution of that trend, moving beyond a single reimagining into an entire ongoing line built specifically around romance and fantasy. The announcement also builds on Disney’s growing partnership with Webtoon, which has already brought more than 20 fan-favorite comics into its vertical-scroll format through a dedicated Disney section within the app.

No specific release date has been announced yet for “The Curse of a Forsaken Heart,” with Disney noting that further details will be shared at a later time. Given the buzz surrounding the announcement, fans are likely to be watching closely for updates in the months ahead.

The reveal has already sparked plenty of conversation online, with fans both intrigued and slightly startled by just how far Disney is willing to push one of its most beloved love stories.

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