Vitaly Milonov, a member of the United Russia party, has said if the film was found to contain "elements of propaganda of homosexuality" it should be banned.

The film would breach a piece of controversial legislation in Russia, a 2013 law which describes homosexuality as "non-traditional sexual relations" and prohibits the spreading of "gay propaganda".

At issue is a scene in the film - described by US critics as barely longer than a moment - in which one of the film's villains, Le Fou, played by Josh Gad, appears to have feelings for Gaston.

Gaston, played by Luke Evans, is a hunter whose affections are spurned by the film's heroine, Belle (Emma Watson), who falls in love with "the Beast" (Dan Stevens), in reality a handsome prince under a curse.

Le Fou is Gaston's sidekick.

The inclusion of the scene has become a point of discussion in the US, effectively confirming that the character of LeFou is gay.

Russia's culture minister Vladimir Medinsky said the film would be assessed once it was seen.

"As soon as we get a copy of the film with relevant paperwork for distribution, we will consider it according to the law," Medinsky said.

The threatened Russian ban follows a ban on the film by a US drive-in theatre in rural Alabama which said they would not "compromise on what the Bible teaches".

The theatre in Henagar, Alabama, has not confirmed if it was ever scheduled to screen the film, and has enacted the ban without having ever seen the film.

The theatre's owners were reacting to media coverage, they said.

The film's director Bill Condon described Le Fou as "somebody who on one day wants to be Gaston and on another day wants to kiss Gaston".

"Josh makes something really subtle and delicious out of it," Condon said.

"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."

Gad told US media it was a "lovely moment at the end of the film".

"I'll let [it] speak for itself," Gad said. "Like many of the additions to this movie, I think it's a beautiful, subtle moment that does its job and is left alone."

The film is released internationally on March 17.