Multi-award-winning singer H.E.R will star in ABC’s Beauty and The Beast 30th anniversary special.
She will be playing the role of Belle and the special will be a mix of animation and live action along with new musical performances. This special is set to be taped in front of a live studio audience and has an air date of Dec. 15th.
H.E.R. expressed her excitement about the new role 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.”
Executive producer Jon M. Chu also released a statement about working with H.E.R., “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.”
He added, “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.”
We previously reported that H.E.R. will be playing the role of Squeak in the upcoming movie musical adaptation of The Color Purple.