ABC to Honor 30th Anniversary of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with Two-Hour Special

“Beauty and the Beast is a timeless story and we’re so fortunate to work with creative mastermind Jon M. Chu and veteran director Hamish Hamilton to bring a modern twist to this beloved classic for an unforgettable night of Disney magic,” said Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwich in a statement. “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.”
2022 marks the 30th anniversary of when the film became the first animated feature to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. The film went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion 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 will premiere on ABC Thursday, December 15, 2022 at 8pm EST, and will be available the next day on Disney+.
Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration comes from producers Done+Dusted, in partnership with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere. Hamilton further serves as executive producer, alongside Chu, Caitlin Foito, Raj Kapoor, Richard Kraft, and Katy Mullan.
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Disney’s animated classic, Beauty and the Beast, ABC is hosting a two-hour hybrid animated and live-action special this winter.
In The Heights and Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu will serve as executive producer on the special, with Hamish Hamilton set to direct. While no cast members have been announced yet, the plan is for their live-action performances to be inserted into scenes from the original animated film.
The special will feature live musical performances, as well as new sets and costumes inspired by the classic story. Songs from the original film will also be performed in front of a live audience at Disney Studios.

“Beauty and the Beast was always a game-changing cinematic experience for me,” adds Chu. “When the animated movie came out, I watched it multiple times in the first weekend. It showed me the outer limits of what animated artists and storytellers could achieve, so the fact that I get to executive produce a tribute to all the creatives that made this masterpiece through our Electric Somewhere company is a dream I didn’t even think was possible. With world-class creatives and talent to reinterpret the classic musical numbers (with a few surprises), I can’t wait for the audiences, in person and at home, to experience what we have in store for them. It’s a true celebration of creativity.”

Max Weinstein is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He is the Editor-at-Large of ‘Dread Central’ and former Editorial Director of ‘MovieMaker.’ His work has been featured in ‘Cineaste,’ ‘Fangoria,’ ‘Playboy,’ ‘Vice,’ and ‘The Week.’