It’s official! Emma Watson, best known as Hermione Granger from the “Harry Potter” films, will be Belle in Disney’s live action “Beauty and the Beast.”
Watson posted the following 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! 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”
I’m not going to lie. I’m a little nervous now that this seems to really be happening. “Beauty and the Beast” is my favorite Disney film. Of all time. Though admittedly a lot of that stems from bookish Belle and that incredible library that the Beast gives her. Just imagine a live action scene with the camera panning up to capture the books from floor to ceiling . . . my bibliophilic heart is fluttering at the thought.
And then there’s the music. The film will be directed by Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Parts 1 and 2”) who has said “that the film will indeed be a musical featuring the 1991 animated film’s original Alan Menken and Howard Ashman songs, as well as new music from composer Menken.” This is good news.
There’s also a lot more casting to be announced and questions to be answered. Who will play Beast? Gaston? Will the Enchanted Objects be computer generated? Hopefully some of these will be answered soon.
Production is slated to begin later this year, though no release date has been set.