H.E.R. has signed on to play Belle in ABC’s upcoming Beauty And The Beast: A 30th Celebration special. The Grammy Award-winning singer released a statement in response to the news, saying that she's excited for the world to "see a Black and Filipino Belle."
“I can’t believe I get to be part of the Beauty and the Beast legacy," H.E.R. said. "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.”
The film will be produced by John M. Chu, who is best known for his work on Crazy Rich Asians and In The Heights. It will also be directed by Hamish Hamilton.
“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,” 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.”
Disney has cast several female R&B musicians in recent films, including having Beyonce play Nala in The Lion King and Halley Bailey play Ariel in The Little Mermaid.
After airing on ABC, the special will be available on Disney+ the following day.
[Via]