Earlier this month, wereportedthat Disney’sBeauty and the Beastis receiving its own television special, titledBeauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. At the time, no cast had been announnced. Now, the upcoming special has found its Belle! Grammy award winning singerH.E.R.will take up the mantle as one of the special’s titular characters. H.E.R. is the first cast member reveal, with more still to come.
H.E.R. is a multi-award winning R&B singer, earning her first Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2019 for her self-titled release. In 2021, her song “Better Than I Imagine” earned the award for Best R&B Song, with her powerful single “I Can’t Breathe” receiving Song of the Year. Most recently, her single “Fight for You,” which was featured inJudas and the Black Messiah, won the Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance and the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebrationwill be a two-hour special celebrating the 30th anniversary of the original movie’s landmark Oscar nomination in 1992. It will be a hybrid live-action/animated presentation paying tribute to the animated classic and its legacy. The special will feature live performances of songs from the original movie, new sets and costumes inspired by the movie, and special never-before-seen musical performances that will add its own set of surprises for viewers.
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The special is executive produced byJon M. Chu(In the Heights),Hamish Hamilton,Caitlin Foito,Raj Kapoor,Richard Kraft, andKaty Mullan. Done+Dusted is producing in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere. Hamilton serves as director.
About the casting, H.E.R. said in a statement:
“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle! I have always wanted to be a Disney princess, and I get to work with two wonderful directors Hamish Hamilton and my favorite, Jon M. Chu. It is very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Chu added:
“With her obvious extraordinary talent and stage presence, H.E.R. is the perfect embodiment of our Belle, and we are thrilled for audiences to see her in this celebration of creativity. We were both influenced as storytellers by the original animated movie, so it’s very exciting to collaborate together to honor the artistry of that timeless classic while also inspiring a whole new generation of creators.”
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebrationpremieres on ABC on Thursday, December 15 at 8 p.m. ET, streaming the next day on Disney+. In the meantime, check out the trailer for the animated movie below:
