H.E.R. to Play Belle in ABC's Beauty and the Beast Musical
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ABC has found its beauty.
The network announced July 20 that Grammy Award-winner H.E.R. will play Belle in the upcoming musical Beauty and the Beast, executive produced by Crazy Rich Asians' Jon M. Chu and directed by Hamish Hamilton. The role of the Beast hasn't been announced.
"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!" H.E.R. said in a statement. "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."
The musical's Dec. 15 release is timed to the 30th anniversary of the 1991 movie becoming the first animated film nominated for Best Picture at the 64th Annual Academy awards. Because of this special milestone, the musical will feature a blend of animated and live-action scenes.
Beauty and the Beast Premieres Around the World
Disney fans are in for a treat, as Chu and Hamilton have an impressive background in projects like this. Chu is currently filming the two-part film adaptation of Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. As for Hamilton, he's been directing the Super Bowl Halftime Show for more than a decade and also helmed the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Plus, ABC is known for its exciting musicals, most recently The Little Mermaid in 2019. Auli'i Cravalho, Queen Latifah, Shaggy, Graham Phillips and John Stamos starred in the special, which, according to Deadline, aired live to nearly nine million viewers.
Fans can see what Hamilton and Chu have up their sleeves when Beauty and the Beast premieres Dec. 15 on ABC.
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