LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� When it Walt Disney鈥檚 鈥淏eauty and the Beast鈥� captured audiences, critics and, later, a best picture Oscar nomination 鈥� a first for any animated movie. A TV special celebrating the 30th anniversary of that nomination hopes to bring something new to a tale as old as time.
"Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration," airing Thursday on ABC and streaming on Disney+ the next day, will combine animation and new live-action performances. This fresh take comes with a diverse cast led by H.E.R. as the bookish Belle, opposite Josh Groban's Beast.
The supporting players include Martin Short as candelabra Lumiere, Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts, David Alan Grier as Cogsworth and Rizwan Manji as LeFou.
Executive producer also the director of movies like 鈥淐razy Rich Asians鈥� and the upcoming 鈥淲icked鈥� adaptation, says he wasn鈥檛 trying to make a statement by casting H.E.R, who is Black and Filipina, as a character who is white in the cartoon.
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 hit me until we announced it really. And then everybody (said) how much they were appreciative of that or brought that to light and I was like 鈥極h yeah, that is really cool.鈥� But honestly that wasn鈥檛 what led it," Chu told The Associated Press.
To say Chu is a fan would be an understatement. Obsessed as a kid with Disney animation, he saw it opening weekend in a San Jose theater more than once. He spoke with pride when describing the merchandise still in his possession and in its original packaging 鈥� two Belle dolls, a Beast doll and a toy magic mirror. But it didn鈥檛 really click how much work went into the film until he saw a screener from when it was up for the Oscars that included unfinished footage with pencil animations and storyboards.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I realized, 鈥極h, this is made by human beings, like, people thought of this idea and then just drew it on a piece of paper and then made it come to life,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 what we really want to do in this special is pay tribute, of course, to the 30th anniversary, but really to creativity.鈥�
Long impressed with the R&B star's singing and ability to play musical instruments, Chu wasn鈥檛 sure if H.E.R. would agree to be Belle, though.
Turns out he had nothing to worry about.
鈥淪he鈥檚 a bigger 鈥楤eauty of the Beast鈥� Disney fan than I am,鈥� Chu said of the singer born Gabriella Wilson.
It鈥檚 been 25 years since pop singer Brandy played a Black Cinderella in an adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which also aired on ABC. Her Prince Charming was portrayed by Paolo Montalban, who is Filipino. In 1997, those castings were considered a huge deal. The feeling of inclusivity, especially in fairytales, still feels meaningful today 鈥� if still not the norm.
Once H.E.R. signed on, it was important to Chu to honor her background when filling the role of Belle鈥檚 father, Maurice. who is Filipino, will play the part. He hopes productions will embrace casting minorities in classic roles.
鈥淚 want us to be normalized. Especially in stories that the you won鈥檛 expect people like us,鈥� Briones said. 鈥淚 love representing. It鈥檚 it鈥檚 an honor, it鈥檚 a responsibility, but it鈥檚 something I鈥檓 prepared to do because I want to put forward our stories.鈥�
With strides in representation, there are always naysayers but 鈥渢here鈥檚 a place at the table for all of us,鈥� he said.
Chu had already visualized how he would expand on key scenes when he pitched the idea for the hybrid TV special. Dancers will portray moments like a wolf chase and petals falling from the rose tied to the spell keeping Beast a beast.
鈥淧itching to Martin Short this and him getting really into it and his 鈥楤e Our Guest鈥� is insane,鈥� Chu said.
There will also be cameos from some of the original movie鈥檚 voice talent including Paige O鈥橦ara (Belle) and Richard White (Gaston). Alan Menken, the composer who won an Oscar for the movie鈥檚 titular song, will accompany H.E.R. on the piano.
While this is a new twist, past adaptations of this classic story have resonated with audiences. starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, was a box-office smash in North American ticket sales during its opening weekend.
A new adaptation isn鈥檛 always a repeat, Briones explained. It brings new ideas and vision to the story.
鈥淚t鈥檚 like the story coming from your friend and 鈥� the same story being told by your father and being told by a grandfather. They鈥檙e all different but they鈥檙e all going to be so interesting,鈥� Briones said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different storytellers. But they bring different things to the equation and that鈥檚 very true with this one.鈥�
Music and the fairytale go hand-in-hand, and Chu 鈥� who directed the adaptation of last year 鈥� seems to gravitate toward movie musicals. In Chu鈥檚 mind, musicals on screen aren鈥檛 extra work but like an 鈥渆xtra language to express the human experience.鈥�
鈥淚 think 鈥楤eauty and the Beast鈥� was never just about a movie at one time. It was about this continuous story that can be reinterpreted and reinvented over and over again," Chu said.
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Tang reported from Phoenix.
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Tang is a member of the AP's Race & Ethnicity Team. Follow her on Twitter at .
Terry Tang And Karena Phan (), The Associated Press
