H.E.R becomes first Black-Filipina princess after being selected as Belle in the upcoming "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” hybrid special
Filipino-American singer H.E.R. has been cast as Belle in ABC's upcoming "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” as announced by ABC which will air on December 15.
“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.
The special will be aired to commemorate 30 years since its nomination for the Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the first animated film to do so, and will feature live performances of never-before-seen songs and sets from the classic princess movie.
The report from Variety also added that songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney studios but the ABC special itself will not be shot live.
“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,” she added.
Hamish Hamilton is in charge of directing the hybrid special while Jon M. Chu, director of "Crazy Rich Asians" and "In The Heights,” will serve as the executive-producer.
“With her obvious extraordinary talent and stage presence, H.E.R. is the perfect embodiment of our Belle, and we are thrilled for our 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,” he added.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration airs on ABC on Dec. 15 before being made widely available on Disney+ the following day.
Tags: #Disney, # Princess, #Filipina