ABC’s live-action/animation-blended Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration has set Grammy Award winner H.E.R. to play its Belle. The Oscar-winning singer/songwriter (“Fight For You” from Judas and the Black Messiah) will be the first Afro Filipina woman to play Belle on screen, and H.E.R. spoke about that honor in the casting announcement.
“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!” said H.E.R., who’s also on board as a producer. “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.”
“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,” said director/executive producer Jon M. Chu. “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.”
The special marks the 30th anniversary of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast‘s groundbreaking Oscar nomination in the Best Picture category. The animated film was nominated in six categories and won two Oscars: Best Original Song (“Beauty and the Beast” by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) and Best Original Score (Alan Menken). The soundtrack also won multiple Grammys.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration will feature new musical performances that will play homage to the animated film. The two-hour special will air on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 8pm ET/PT on ABC.
