British Pop singer Rita Ora is officially joining the cast of the Disney+ Beauty and the Beast prequel series.
The pop star shared the good news to Instagram on Monday with pictures of her in front of a tv with the Disney + logo followed by pictures of herself as a young girl dressed up as Belle.
"I can’t keep the secret any longer! I’m beyond excited to be joining the cast of the Beauty and the Beast prequel series!" announced Ora.
The singer, who has been a fan of the beloved Disney Princess Musical since she was a child, was clearly elated with the role.
"As a child, I remember watching Beauty and the Beast with my family over and over and immediately falling in love with the music and characters. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined joining this fairytale world."
She then went on to thank those who helped make her dream come true.
"To everyone that helped make this happen, I am forever grateful. Thank you to Disney+, my CAA squad - Dan, Joella, and Tracy - Shari, and my management family. Lately I just feel like all my dreams are coming true! Life is feeling like a Disney movie!"
Ora's costars Josh Gad and Luke Evans, who will be reprising their roles as Gaston and LeFou, commented on the post congratulating the Anywhere singer.
"We are so beyond excited to have you. You are going to destroy this role," wrote Gad.
Evans added,
"Welcome to the family my darling❤️"
According to Deadline, Ora will play a fugitive who holds a powerful secret that could affect the entire kingdom.
Ora is no stranger to the big screen, showing off her acting skills in Fifty Shades of Grey and in the 2021 Feature film Twist where she played the Artful Dodger.
In addition to Evans and Gad, Ora will also be acting alongside Briana Middleton, Fra Fee, and Jelani Alladin.
Gad and Once Upon a Time creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, who wrote the eight episode musical series, will also serve as executive producers and co-show runners.
The prequel will be set in the original Beauty and the Beast Kingdom years before the romance of Belle and the Beast takes place. The show will follow Gaston, LeFou and LeFou's step-sister Tilly (Middleton) and they embark on a journey together after a revelation from Tilly's past is uncovered.
EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony) Award-winning composer Alan Menkin, who wrote the score for the 1991 and the 2017 Beauty and the Beast films will create the soundtrack for the prequel as well. Menkin will be joined by Oscar nominated Tangled lyricist Glenn Slater who will write the lyrics for the first episode. Tony nominated director, Liesl Tommy, known for her work on the Broadway production Eclipsed, will direct the first episode.
Production on the Beauty and the Beast prequel is set to begin spring 2022.
