In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Beauty and the Beast is getting an animated/live-action hybrid special on ABC with H.E.R. attached to star as Princess Belle. Titled, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, Jon M. Chu is executive producing with Hamish Hamilton directing.
H.E.R.’s casting marks the first time an Afro Filipina woman will play the role of Belle on screen. The R&B star will lead audiences through the world of Belle with never-before-seen live musical performances paying homage to the timeless tale as well as new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.
Presented by The Wonderful World of Disney, the two-hour Beauty and the Beast reimagining will be taped in front of a live audience at Disney Studios. It will air Dec. 15 on ABC and be available on Disney+ the next day. The BATB special will feature never-before-seen musical performances, new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. Each performance, ABC says, will pay homage to the original animated favorite while also adding to its iconic story. Songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios.
This year, 2022, marks the 30th anniversary of when Disney Animation’s Beauty and the Beast became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, while the theme song “Beauty and the Beast” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1992.
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Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is produced by Done+Dusted in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere. Executive producers are Chu, Caitlin Foito, Hamilton, Raj Kapoor, Richard Kraft and Katy Mullan. Hamish Hamilton will serve as director. H.E.R. serves as a producer.