A LIVE Beauty and the Beast Special is Coming to ABC Later This Year!

Disney has been LOVING turning animated classics into live-action remakes in the past few years.

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We’ve seen Aladdin, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Cinderella, Lady and the Tramp, and we’re soon getting Pinocchio and The Little Mermaid, among others. We also got Beauty and the Beast, but apparently Disney isn’t done with the iconic story just yet!

Beauty and the Beast is going to be LIVE on ABC! The network is making a two-hour, live action/animated special that will have a new cast, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It will air on December 15th of this year and will be available to steam on Disney+ the very next day, on December 16th!

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Jon M. Chu (In the Heights, Wicked) is going to executive produce the special and it will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, who has directed the Emmys, Grammys, and Super Bowl halftime show, as well as ABC’s The Little Mermaid Live.

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“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,” said President of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment Craig Erwich, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The live Beauty and the Beast will have never-before-seen musical performances, as well as new sets and costumes. The performances will pay homage to the original film while also adding to its iconic story.

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The special is in honor of the 30th anniversary of the animated film’s Academy Award nomination. It was the first animated feature to earn an Academy Award nomination for best picture and ended up winning Oscars for its score and original song.

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There isn’t any word yet on who will be playing the roles from the story. This, of course, will be different from the live-action Beauty and the Beast film Disney made back in 2017, which starred Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as The Beast.

It’s also important to note that this project is happening while another Beauty and the Beast project has been put on hold — the Gaston and LeFou prequel series that Disney+ was making.