Everyone knows the classic Disney romantasy series. We all grew up with stories like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel. They’re all about love. But Beauty and the Beast has always been a little different. It was darker than the others. There was a terrifying curse, a spooky castle, and real dangers. As it turns out, stories like this are actually very popular in books right now.
If you follow book-related topics on social media, you’ve probably already heard of something called “Romantasy.” It blends vast fantasy worlds with romantic clichés like “enemies-to-lovers” or “forbidden love.” It’s a huge trend. Disney has taken notice and decided to get in on the action. They’re digging into their own treasure trove of stories, and Beauty and the Beast is the first one they’ve chosen.
Disney is officially launching a new fantasy romantasy series
The announcement was made at D23. Disney Publishing is launching a new project called “Disney Cursed Love.” Essentially, it’s a collection of stories inspired by the studio’s most famous love stories—but with a surprising twist. The first volume is titled The Curse of a Forsaken Heart.
It was written by bestselling author Emily McIntire and features cool illustrations by Samairu. You can read it first as a webcomic on Webtoon. It’s scheduled to be released in print later, in 2027. A launch date on Webtoon hasn’t been announced yet, but word is that the entire series will be full of dark magic, curses, and plenty of romance.
Disney’s new “romantasy” series begins with “Beauty and the Beast”
You might think this is just the same old story. It’s not. Belle and the Beast do appear, but events unfold at a breakneck pace. They are sucked through a magical stained-glass window. Suddenly, they find themselves in a completely different land. The kingdom there is plagued by a terrible curse.
It all began when Princess Emberlynne said “no” to an evil wizard when he asked for her hand in marriage. The curse is quite severe: no one in the entire kingdom can feel love. Anyone who travels there is struck by the same curse. Belle and the Beast are in serious trouble. They must help Emberlynne break the spell so they can find their way back to each other.
The central love story in this book actually unfolds between two new characters named Emberlynne and Lucan. The author said it’s all about banter and flirting. They have that “will they, won’t they?” vibe that everyone loves about these books. She even said they’re the last two people who should ever end up together. That sounds like a classic setup.
This project also shows that Disney is working more closely with Webtoon. They’ve already adapted more than 20 of their comics into the scroll format used by Webtoon. We’ll soon be seeing more content from Star Wars, Marvel, Gravity Falls, and even the Disney villains.
Disney and Webtoon are also working on a brand-new digital platform specifically for their comics. So far, we only know about this first story, but it’s a pretty exciting start.
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