HER pays tribute to her Filipino heritage in the upcoming ABC special Beauty and the Beast. Ahead of its premiere on ABC on Dec. 15 and then on Disney+ the following day, the network offered early photos of the two-hour TV special. HER (aka Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) stars as Belle. Based on the sneak peek, the singer-songwriter wears at least three different costumes during the special, including Belle’s blue day dress, the signature yellow ball gown, and the pink dress with a matching cape.
Throughout the original Beauty and the Beast animation, Belle’s daily outfit consists of a simple white blouse and light blue apron. Emmy Award Winning Costume Designer Marina Toybina‘SHE’s customization is similar, with a patterned blue apron and an additional floral apron. However, an eagle-eyed fan on Twitter first noticed a special embroidery edging the apron. “Bel” is written in Baybayin, an ancient Filipino script, to represent the character’s name. Although the use of baybayin declined as a user in the 17th century due to Spanish colonization @Kryspia directed, Filipinos have since reclaimed and revived the screenplay.
For the project’s poster, the Filipino-American actress is seen in a yellow and gold pantsuit with a floor-length train draped by her jacket, a chic, modern take on Belle’s princess ball gown. In other behind-the-scenes photos, SHE wears a light pink dress and matching cape, similar to the animation character’s appearance in the snow.
HER, who stars alongside Josh Groban as the Beast in the TV special, recently said she’s excited to bring new life to her rendition of Belle in an exclusive behind-the-scenes clip shared with POPSUGAR. “There is a strength in Belle. You see it in the film, but I think I’m really trying to bring that out and show women that they can be anything they want,” she said. “Of course no one has ever seen a black and Filipino beauty, so it’s really cool that young Filipino black girls can see a Disney princess who looks like them.”
See more photos of HER’s costumes in the Beauty and the Beast special ahead of release.