ABC is unveiling its first photos ahead of its upcoming Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
The special, presented by the network with the Wonderful World of Disney, comes as the Disney original animated classic, Beauty and the Beast, marks its 30th year since becoming the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Stills of the upcoming televised production, which will offer a mix of animation and live-action, feature an all-star lineup of celebrities, who are scheduled to appear in the Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.
They include Shania Twain, H.E.R., Jon Jon Briones, Martin Short, Leo Abelo Perry, Rizwan Manji, Joshua Henry, David Alan Grier, Josh Groban, and Rita Moreno.
The latter two of the bunch were featured in rehearsal footage earlier in the month on Monday, Dec. 5 to allow eager fans a glimpse of what they can expect during the two-hour reimagining of the beloved Beauty and the Beast classic fairy tale.
Now, fans awaiting the highly anticipated celebration can see even more of the cast and how everything will look when the cameras start rolling for the live-taped event, which will be filmed at Disney Studios.
In the newest set of photos, Twain, who will star as Mrs. Potts, is shown wearing a purple hat covered in gold glitter. She accessorizes her baby blue victorian-styled dress with gold-colored, arm-length gloves and sports a thick stage prop around her waist, which resembles a teapot.
H.E.R., who plays the character of Belle is shown donning the wintry velvet dress that the princess sports while playing in the snow with the Beast. She is also featured in the iconic blue peasant dress that folks see in the opening song “Belle” during the animated film.
Among the many other celebrities shown in pictures, Short, who plays the role of Lumiére, sports an intricately detailed wig atop his head while dressed in gold with white ends to his sleeves to give off the appearance of a vintage candelabra.
As previously mentioned, fans have already gotten a taste of Groban and Moreno in Beauty and the Beast-styled costumes. Henry, Grier, and Derek Hough have also been seen in earlier photos. Grobin, cast as Beast, can be seen dressed in all black in photos, and wearing a blue cape in others.
Iconic items from the animated classic are also pictured, such as the enchanted rose and the magic mirror.
Beauty and the Beast, released in 1991, has been a highly awarded movie in the Disney collection of classic animated films. The film has won a Golden Globe Award for Best 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. Jon M. Chu, Caitlin Foito, Hamish Hamilton, Raj Kapoor, Richard Kraft, and Katy Mullan serve as executive producers. Hamish Hamilton serves as a director, while H.E.R. serves as a producer.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration will air live on Thursday, (Dec. 15) from 8:00-10:00 p.m. EST on ABC. Those who will miss the broadcast can stream Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration on Disney+ the next day.
In the meantime, check out a first look at the characters in Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration below.
