H.E.R. To Star In ‘Beauty & Beast’ Special
• GRAMMY and Academy Award-winner H.E.R. has been inked to play Belle in ABC’s upcoming hybrid special in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the release of Beauty and the Beast.
As Variety reports, songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios. Alongside a screening of the film, the special will include live never-before-seen musical performances and features brand-new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. The special will air on ABC on Dec. 15 at 8pm ET and will be available to stream the following day on Disney+. Jon M. Chu is executive producing with Hamish Hamilton onboard to direct.
“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the Beauty and the Beast legacy,” H.E.R. said. “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’s very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Chu said, “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.”
• H.E.R. is a five-time Grammy winner, including a 2021 win for Song of the Year for “I Can’t Breathe” in from her debut album, Back of My Mind. She’s also an Academy Award winner for her song “Fight For You,” from the critically-acclaimed film Judas and the Black Messiah. She is set to make her feature acting debut in the Warner Bros. adaptation of The Color Purple.
