Emma Watson Cast As Belle In Live-Action 'Beauty and the Beast'
Empty Lighthouse is a reader-supported site. This article may contain affiliate links to Amazon and other sites. We earn a commission on purchases made through these links.
Harry Potter's Emma Waston has announced that she will be playing the part of "Belle" in the new live-action film Beauty and the Beast.
The movie is directed by Bill Condon and produced by Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Watson just made the announcement on her Facebook page:
"I'm finally able to tell you... that I will be playing Belle in Disney's new live-action Beauty and the Beast!" she wrote. "It was such a big part of my growing up, it almost feels surreal that I'll get to dance to 'Be Our Guest' and sing 'Something There'.
My six year old self is on the ceiling - heart bursting. Time to start some singing lessons. I can't wait for you to see it. Emma xx"
An article on The Huffington Post said that Watson was originally tagged for the role in 2011, when Guillermo del Toro was the director, and Warner Bros. was set as distributer.
"Last June, the del Toro version of 'Beauty and the Beast,' titled 'Beauty,' hit the skids when the director dropped out of the project," the article said. "At the time, Deadline.com reported that Watson was still attached to star in that version of the film.
But according to TheWrap, Disney reportedly had del Toro's blessing to hire Watson away from the Warner Bros. project."
But four years later, Disney is ready to give it another go. It seems that Watson enjoys portraying powerful, intellectual heroines in films, and we don't mind her doing it either.
The actress is also known for her efforts as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador where she launched HeforShe, a solidarity movement for gender equality.
Filming will begin later this year.
Wanna read more on this? Check these out: Hot Toys Reveals Belle Figurine From Beauty and the Beast (more); Beauty and the Beast Is Selling Tickets As Fast As A Superhero Movie Says Fandango (more); Alabama Cinema Refusing To Show Beauty and the Beast Due To Gay Character (more); Beauty and the Beast Reviews Are Certified Fresh On Rotten Tomatoes (more).
And here are some more related articles: Hogwarts Express To Be Featured At Warner Bros. Studio Tour London (more).