Singer/songwriter Rita Ora is set to join the cast of the upcoming Disney+ Beauty and the Beast prequel series.
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According to a report from Variety, Ora will star as “a fugitive with surprising abilities who carries with her a secret that could potentially affect an entire kingdom.” Ora will join a cast that’s shaping up to be incredibly star-studded, and already includes Josh Gad, Luke Evans, Briana Middleton, Fra Fee, and Jelani Alladin.
Ora’s brief work in Hollywood includes credits on the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, brief appearances in the Fast & Furious franchise, Southpaw, and Pokémon: Detective Pikachu, among other films. As a singer, Ora has seen massive success around the world, including four No. 1 singles in the U.K., as well as holding the current record for most Top 10 singles (13) for a British female artist in U.K. history.
The eight-episode Beauty and the Beast prequel series is being developed, executive-produced, and written by Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz (Once Upon a Time), and each is also serving as a co-showrunner. The series’ creative team also includes Tony Award-nominated director Liesl Tommy (Eclipsed), who has come on board as an executive producer and will direct the first episode.
The project will feature an original soundtrack from the EGOT Award-winning composer Alan Menken, who will also serve as executive producer, and lyrics for the first episode will be by Oscar-nominee Glenn Slater (Tangled). Production will begin later this year.
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