The American channel ABC will release a live special about ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at the end of the year. It is a mix of animation and live-action with a new cast.
The animated version of Beauty and the Beast came out in 1991, but ABC’s parent company Disney is celebrating an anniversary this year: it is now thirty years since the film was the first animation ever to be nominated for the Oscar for best picture. Beauty and the Beast did not win that prize , but the Academy Awards for best film score and best song did go to the epic about the prince transformed into a monster and his great love Belle.
Director John M. Chu is one of the producers of the special, which the creators say will feature new musical performances and new sets and costumes. Each performance should pay tribute to the celebrated animated film, but will also “add something to the iconic story,” Disney said in an announcement.
The Beauty and the Beast special will air in the US on December 15 on ABC and will be available the following day on streaming platform Disney+. It is not clear whether subscribers of the streaming service outside America can also view the special.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is headed back to the stage! A reimagined and redesigned production is set to return to the U.K.https://t.co/nByRpJNhP4
— broadway.com (@broadwaycom) November 6, 2020