Acclaimed songwriter, guitar player and performer H.E.R. is set to play Belle in an upcoming Disney special, the newest adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.
H.E.R., who is well on her way to an E.G.O.T. (with Grammy and Oscar in tow), can now add Disney Princess to her long resume.
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The Disney special, Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, will air December 15 at 8 p.m. on ABC and the streaming service Disney+ will offer the adaption the following day.
“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the Beauty and the Beast legacy,” said H.E.R. in a statement. “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.”
Continued the artist on Twitter, “AHHHHHHHHHHHH IM SOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!! Join me for the #BeautyAndTheBeast30th, Thursday, Dec 15 on @ABCNetwork and Stream next day on @DisneyPlus !!!!!”
“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,” added the show’s director, Chu. “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.”
The 25-year-old H.E.R. has already garnered 20 Grammy nominations. She is also set to appear in the new adaptation of The Color Purple, which includes the musician, Ciara.
The new Beauty and the Beast is one of many live-action adaptations of Disney’s famous animated catalog, including others like The Jungle Book, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and more.
Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns
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