Yahoo News Josh Groban and H.E.R. bring a modern edge in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration first look
There must be more than this provincial life...
And in the new looks for Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration, there is. On Thursday, ABC released a first look at H.E.R. and Josh Groban in the highly anticipated special.
Coming to ABC on Dec. 15 (and available the next day on Disney+), the special will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the beloved animated film with a two-hour extravaganza combining the animated film and a live-action special.
It will pay tribute to the legacy of Beauty and the Beast with the movie itself, as well as new musical performances, sets, and costumes. The special will be filmed in front of a live audience.
ABC
In this first look, Groban sports a dashing blue coat resembling the Beast's cape, while H.E.R. updates Belle's iconic yellow ballgown with an impeccably tailored suit.
In addition to Groban and H.E.R. as the Beast and Belle, the cast will also feature a host of other luminaries, including Rita Moreno as the narrator, Joshua Henry as Gaston, Martin Short as Lumière, David Alan Grier as Cogsworth, Rizwan Manji as LeFou, Jon Jon Briones as Maurice, Leo Abelo Perry as Chip, and Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts.
Hamish Hamilton is directing with Jon M. Chu (In the Heights) executive producing.
This year marks the anniversary of Disney Animation's Beauty and the Beast, which won the Academy Award in 1992 for Best Original Song.
News of the show was first announced in July.
"Beauty and the Beast was always a game-changing cinematic experience for me," Chu said in a statement at the time. "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 has been entertaining generations since 1991, with the original animated film spawning both a Broadway musical and a 2017 live-action adaptation starring Emma Watson as Belle.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Related content:
