H.E.R. To Play Belle in ABCs 30th Anniversary ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Special
We’ve got some news about a new 30th Anniversary Celebration of Beauty and the Beast that will air on ABC. Apparently Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer and songwriter H.E.R. has been tapped to play Belle in the production which will combine live-action and animation.
Details are slowly starting to come in regarding the project with DEADLINE saying that Jon M. Chu has signed on as executive producer and Hamish Hamilton will direct.
H.E.R. will lead audiences through performances that pay homage to the “tale as old as time” and the production will reportedly feature new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. H.E.R’s casting marks the first time that an Afro Filipina woman has played the role of Belle on screen.
“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. “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.”
As DEADLINE tells us, the project will be presented on ABC as part of The Wonderful World of Disney and will have a 2 hour run time. It will be taped in front of a live audience at Disney Studios. The special is slated to air on December 15th. The production will be broadcast first during ABC primetime and will then be available on Disney+ the next day.
“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,” Chu said. “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.”
Grammys.com
For those unfamiliar with her work, in just under four years, H.E.R has be nominated for 20 Grammy Awards including four wins. She also won and Academy Award for her song “Fight For You” from the film Judas and the Black Messiah. She’s also slated to star in The Color Purple musical which Warner Brothers is working on.
With her debut album “Back of My Mind” coming out in 2021 H.E.R has amassed 6 billion audio and streams worldwide. This is a story that we will continue to follow closely. Readers are encouraged to keep checking back with us for further news and updates.
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Source: DEADLINE
