Martin Short, Shania Twain and David Alan Grier are confirmed for ABC’s upcoming special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary, playing Lumière, Mrs. Potts and Cogsworth, respectively. Rounding out the cast of the two-hour hybrid animated/live-action special are Rizwan Manji, Jon Jon Briones and Leo Abelo Perry.
They join previously announced H.E.R. as Belle, Josh Groban as the Beast, Joshua Henry as Gaston, and Rita Moreno as narrator.
Manji will play Gaston’s loyal sidekick Le Fou, Briones portrays Belle’s loving father, Maurice; and Perry is Mrs. Potts’ son Chip.
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The special will include live never-before-seen musical performances, along with 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. Songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios.
Jon M. Chu (In The Heights) will executive produce with Hamish Hamilton set to direct.
Presented by The Wonderful World of Disney, the two-hour reimagining airs Thursday, December 15 at 8 PM EST on ABC, and will be available the next day on Disney+.
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 Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1992.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is produced by Done+Dusted in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere. In addition to Chu and Hamish, executive producers are Caitlin Foito, Raj Kapoor, Richard Kraft and Katy Mullan. H.E.R. serves as a producer.
Presented by The Wonderful World of Disney, the two-hour reimagining of the beloved story of “Beauty and the Beast” will be taped in front of a live audience at Disney Studios and will air THURSDAY, DEC. 15 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC and on Disney+ the next day.
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