See H.E.R. as Belle in First Look at ABC’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Special (Exclusive Photos)
Just as a magical transformation takes place front-and-center in “Beauty and the Beast,” so do the costumes of ABC’s TV special of the classic animated film come to life, in these first exclusive sketches and character depictions that TheWrap can reveal. In the photos, which you can view below, see stars H.E.R. (who plays Belle) and Martin Short (who portrays Lumière) embody their sketched designs, as created by Marina Toybina.
Presented by the anthology series The Wonderful World of Disney, the two-hour reimagining of the beloved story of “Beauty and the Beast” will air Thursday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, with next-day viewing on Disney+. In addition to Grammy and Oscar-winning H.E.R. and Short, the special stars Josh Groban (“Beast”), Joshua Henry (“Gaston”), David Alan Grier (“Cogsworth”), Shania Twain (“Mrs. Potts”), Rizwan Manji (“LeFou”), Jon Jon Briones (Belle’s father “Maurice”) and Leo Abelo Perry (Mrs. Potts’ son “Chip”), along with narrator Rita Moreno. Jon M. Chu will executive produce the hybrid animated/live-action special and Hamish Hamilton is set to direct, taking viewers on a memorable journey through the classic enchanted tale.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of when Disney Animation’s “Beauty and the Beast” became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, while the theme song “Beauty and the Beast” won the Best Original Song Oscar in 1992.
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“Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” is produced by Done+Dusted in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere. Executive producers also include Hamilton, Caitlin Foito, Raj Kapoor, Richard Kraft and Katy Mullan. H.E.R. serves as a producer.
Toybina is a costume and fashion designer, who made history as the first creator to win four consecutive Emmys in Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program or a Special category in 2015. She is also a six-time Creative Arts Emmy winner in the category, accomplishing the feat for her work on “The Masked Singer,” Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show Starring Katy Perry, “So You Think You Can Dance,” the 55th Annual Grammy Awards and “The X Factor.” In addition to designing for performances on awards shows like the Billboard Awards and BET Awards, Toybina has collaborated with stars like Carrie Underwood, Usher, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears and more. Her work can be seen on Seasons 1-5 of Fox’s celebrity reality singing competition “The Masked Singer.”
Here are the sketches:
Here are the first-look photos:
