R&B singer HER will play the legendary role of Disney princess Belle in ABC’s Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
According to People magazine, ABC announced that the 25-year-old musician, whose real name is Gabriella Wilson, will star in the upcoming television special on Wednesday.
“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the legacy of Beauty and the Beast,” HER said in a statement.
Exciting: R&B singer HER is set to play the legendary role of Disney Princess Belle in ABC’s Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. Seen in April 2022
TV special: Per People magazine announced to ABC that the 25-year-old musician – real name Gabriella Wilson – will be starring in the upcoming TV special on Wednesday
She continued, “The world will see a black and Filipino beauty!”
The Grammy and Oscar winner added, “I’ve always wanted to be a Disney princess.
“And I work with two wonderful directors, Hamish Hamilton, and my favourite, Jon M. Chu. It’s very surreal and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the legacy of Beauty and the Beast,” HER said in a statement. seen in 2021
For the first time: She continued: “The world will see a black and Filipino beauty!”
According to Deadline, 42-year-old Chu will serve as executive producer and 56-year-old Hamilton will direct the special, which will be a live-action/animation hybrid.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is presented by The Wonderful World of Disney and recorded in front of a live audience. The special airs December 15 on ABC and is available to stream December 16 on Disney+.
In a statement, Chu said, “With her evidently exceptional talent and stage presence, SHE is the perfect embodiment of our Belle and we are delighted for audiences to see her at this celebration of creativity.”
Hybrid: Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is presented by The Wonderful World of Disney and is a live-action/animation hybrid. Pictured in 2021
The Crazy Rich Asians director added, “We were both influenced as storytellers by the original animated film, so it’s very exciting to work together to honor the artistry of this timeless classic while inspiring a whole new generation of creators.”
Deadline reported that the special will feature “never-before-seen live musical performances paying homage to the timeless story, as well as new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.”
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration commemorates the 30th anniversary of the animated film’s release in 1991.
Starring Paige O’Hara and Robby Benson as the voices of Belle and the Beast, the film became a huge hit for Disney and an instant classic.
It was the first animated film to be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar at the 64th Academy Awards in 1992 and received a total of five nominations including Best Original Score, Best Original Song (Be Our Guest), Best Original Song (Belle), Best Original Song (Beauty and the Beast) and Best Sound Mixing.
Coming Soon: The special airs December 15 on ABC and is available to stream December 16 on Disney+. Seen in March 2022
Beauty and the Beast won the Oscar for Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Beauty and the Beast).
HER’s 2017 self-titled debut album was nominated for five Grammy Awards, winning Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Album.
The artist’s second album, I Used to Know Her, was nominated for five Grammys, and her single “I Can’t Breathe” won Song of the Year.
Her song for the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack entitled Fight For You won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
In December, she will appear on the big screen in Blitz Bazawule’s musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel The Color Purple.