"Tale as old as time". It might be hard to believe, but it's been 30 years since the Beauty and the Beast animated film came out. The Disney film became an instant classic ever since its premiere in 1991, earning an Academy Award for Best Original Song and Best Score, while also landing a nomination for Best Picture. To celebrate its anniversary, fans are invited to partake in the festivities by sitting on the couch and watching Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. This special will be a hybrid between live action and animation, and it will include exclusive musical performances, breathtaking sets, new costumes, and a starlit cast portraying the beloved characters. Some of the well-known names include H.E.R., Josh Groban, Martin Short, and Shania Twain. The director behind this commemoration is Jon M. Chu, who has recently directed In the Heights and Crazy Rich Asians.
According to Craig Erwich, the president of Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment, "this will be a must-see special event for fans of the original and for the new generation being introduced to this cherished tale." For those interested in being a guest of this viewing experience, here is a guide to when and where you can watch the celebration.
When Will Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration Come Out?
The two-hour-long special will air this week, so it is time to mark the occasion on your calendar. Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration will be televised on Thursday, December 15, at 8 pm ET/PT. If you aren't able to watch it on TV, the special will be available on Disney+ as of Friday, December 16.
Where Can You Watch the Special?
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration will air on ABC. Given that Grey's Anatomy and Station 19 are on a break until February 2023, the open time slot fits like a glove for this commemoration. In can case you no longer own a traditional cable/satellite television, ABC is available to stream through the following providers: Fubo TV, Hulu with Live TV, and YouTube TV.
To find out what your local ABC affiliate is, you can visit the link here.
As previously mentioned, the special will be available on streaming the following day. It will appear on the Disney Plus catalog and subscribers can watch it at their convenience. If you are looking to subscribe to the streaming platform, you can do so by paying about $10.99 per month/$110 a year. Different from a few other streaming services, Disney Plus also offers another subscription option that is less costly and ad-supported. For those that don't mind ads during their viewing experience, you would pay about $7.99 per month for this plan. Another Disney Plus subscription package to consider is the Disney Bundle, which includes Disney Plus, ESPN +, and Hulu. To access the three streaming services in one place, you only have to pay $12.99 per month.
Watch the Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration Promo
In this short promo video, we are introduced to the actors and the roles they will portray in the Disney celebration. Singer-songwriter H.E.R. will dive into her first on-screen role as Belle. She will also be the first black and Filipino woman to play the Disney princess on screen. Another singer-songwriter, Josh Groban, is set to play the prince-turned-beast who becomes Belle's romantic interest. Tick Tick Boom's Joshua Henry is slated to portray Gaston, the conceited villain who is in love with Belle. The Beast's servants (Lumiére, Mrs. Potts, and Cogsworth) will be played by Martin Short, Shania Twain, and David Alan Grier respectively. The narrator behind Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is none other than West Side Story's Rita Moreno.
In an interview with Good Morning America, H.E.R. shared her enthusiasm for being a part of this project as an actress and producer:
"Every little girl wants to be a Disney princess, but you know, I've never seen one that looks like me. I get to be that to little girls now and that is such a huge deal on top of being a producer on Beauty and the Beast. It's crazy that I got to do a lot of the new arrangements and work with Alan Menken, the original arranger and producer."
What is Beauty and the Beat: A 30th Celebration?
Here is the description of the special according to ABC:
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the beloved Disney animated classic and its Academy Award® nomination for Best Picture, The Wonderful World of Disney and ABC are thrilled to present "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration." This two-hour animated and live-action blended special will pay tribute to the original Disney Animation's "Beauty and the Beast" and its legacy by showcasing the fan-favorite movie, along with new memorable musical performances, taking viewers on a magical adventure through the eyes of Belle. "Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration" airs THURSDAY, DEC. 15 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, and will be available the next day on Disney+. The special presentation includes live never-before-seen musical performances and features brand-new sets and breathtaking costumes inspired by the classic story. Each performance is created to pay homage while also adding to the iconic story for viewers at home. Songs from the original animated classic will be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios.
Where Can You Watch the Beauty and the Beast Animated and Live-Action Films?
In the same way that fans will get to see the special through Disney Plus, they can also go ahead and hit play on the animation and live-action films. Both the 1991 film and the 2017 adaptation are available to stream on the platform. You can also rent either through YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, or Apple TV +.