Beauty and the Beast Live-action/animated hybrid special on ABC.

[ranger_scout]

Following the ratings and viewership success of The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!, ABC has decided to do another live-action/animated special this time for Beauty and the Beast. They are doing it to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary. Unlike the previous special, the will be pre-recorded and not live.

The two-hour special will include live never-before-seen musical performances and features brand-new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. Each performance is created to pay homage while also adding to the iconic story for viewers at home. Songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios, though the special will not be shot live.

The special will air on ABC on Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET and will be available to stream the following day on Disney+. Jon M. Chu is executive producing with Hamish Hamilton onboard to direct. The cast for the special will be announced at a later date.

“‘Beauty and the Beast’ is a timeless story and we’re so fortunate to work with creative mastermind Jon M. Chu and veteran director Hamish Hamilton to bring a modern twist to this beloved classic for an unforgettable night of Disney magic,” said Craig Erwich, president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. “Stacked with unforgettable performances, this will be a must-see special event for fans of the original and for the new generation being introduced to this cherished tale.”

“‘Beauty and the Beast’ was always a game-changing cinematic experience for me,” said Chu. “When the animated movie came out, I watched it multiple times in the first weekend. It showed me the outer limits of what animated artists and storytellers could achieve, so the fact that I get to executive produce a tribute to all the creatives that made this masterpiece through our Electric Somewhere company is a dream I didn’t even think was possible. With world-class creatives and talent to reinterpret the classic musical numbers (with a few surprises), I can’t wait for the audiences, in person and at home, to experience what we have in store for them. It’s a true celebration of creativity.”

‘Beauty and the Beast’ Hybrid Live-Action, Animated Special Set at ABC

[neatoman]

So is it like a stage show with a movie projector in the background?

[ranger_scout]

Originally Posted by neatoman

So is it like a stage show with a movie projector in the background?

They will show the animated movie and whenever it comes to a scene with a song, it will switch over to the live performers, then it will go back to the film.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by ranger_scout

They will show the animated movie and whenever it comes to a scene with a song, it will switch over to the live performers, then it will go back to the film.

Are people really that desperate for entertainment?

[Autbot_Benz]

Grammy Award Winning Artist H.E.R is playing Belle in this.


https://collider.com/beauty-and-the-...ast-her-belle/

[ranger_scout]

Originally Posted by Autbot_Benz

Grammy Award Winning Artist H.E.R is playing Belle in this.


https://collider.com/beauty-and-the-...ast-her-belle/

She'sfollowing in the footsteps of Toni Braxton, who played Belle on Broadway from 1998-1999.

[ranger_scout]

A sneak peek of the TV special will be happening at the D23 Expo this weekend.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/ho...-D23-Expo-2022

[ranger_scout]

More casting has been announced. The 30th anniversary TV special has cast Josh Groban as the Beast, Broadway actor Joshua Henry as Gaston, and Rita Moreno as the narrator.

https://variety.com/2022/artisans/ne...no-1235363562/

[ranger_scout]

David Alan Grier has been cast as Cogsworth.

https://variety.com/2022/film/news/b...bc-1235376987/

[ranger_scout]

Martin Short and Shania Twain are in final talks to play Lumiere and Mrs. Potts, respectively.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/columns/...bc-1235379916/

[ranger_scout]

Short and Twain have now finalized their deals to star in the special. It was also announced today that Rizwan Manji, Jon Jon Briones, and Leo Abelo Perry are the latest additions to the cast. Manji will play LeFou, Briones has been cast as Maurice, and Perry will portray Chip.

https://deadline.com/2022/10/martin-...st-1235146896/

[ranger_scout]

Here is our first look at H.E.R. and Josh Groban.



https://www.tvinsider.com/1069314/be...roban-her-abc/

[ranger_scout]

There are plenty of photos from the special in this article and a behind-the-scenes video.

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainme...ecial-48901721

Paige O'Hara (the original voice of Belle), Richard White (the voice of Gaston), and Alan Menken (the composer) will be making cameo appearances in it.

https://d23.com/first-look-see-paige...h-celebration/

And here is a TV spot.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1602740134927110146

[IndigoErth]

Had no idea if they were doing a live show again this year. Had hoped so and only briefly saw the end of a commercial just two days ago.

[ranger_scout]

When I saw this last month did think that was better than The Little Mermaid Live! However, it is still a big mistake to air the original animated film alongside these live performances because the latter is still so much better even without the musical numbers. Shania Twain's voice for Mrs. Potts wasn't right at all during "Be Our Guest". The guitar part H.E.R. did at the end was a little too bizarre for my tastes.

I will say though that seeing Paige O'Hara, Richard White, and Alan Menken put a smile on my face though, especially O'Hara. She is my second favorite celebrity role model after Jim Cummings and my favorite female celebrity ever. I've met her twice and she is the kindest lady imaginable. It would've been nice if Disney also had parts for Robby Benson (the Beast) and Bradley Pierce (Chip).