Emma Watson to Show Off Singing Chops in Live-Action ‘Beauty and the Beast’
British actress Emma Watson is officially a Disney princess.
Disney has confirmed that the 24-year-old actress, most widely known for her role as Hermione in the "Harry Potter" movies, will play Belle in a live-action version of the classic, "Beauty and the Beast."
Watson announced on Facebook after Disney's confirmation, "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 6-year-old self is on the ceiling -- heart bursting. Time to start some singing lessons. I can't wait for you to see it."
Watson was originally linked to the production in 2011 with director Guillermo del Toro and distributor Warner Bros. When Del Toro dropped out of the project, his version of the movie titled "Beauty" fell through as well. According to TheWrap, Disney then got del Toro's blessing to hire Watson away from the Warner Bros production.
The live-action script was written by Stephen Chbosky, who worked with Watson in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower." Evan Spiliotopoulos wrote the initial draft of the screenplay. The director will be Bill Condon, who directed "The Twilight Saga: breaking Dawn - Part 1" and "Part 2."
"Beauty and the Beast" is the latest Disney film to get a live-action adaptation. Other Disney classics that have already been adapted include "Alice in Wonderland," "Maleficent" ("Sleeping Beauty"), and the upcoming "Cinderella" and "The Jungle Book."
"Beauty and the Beast" was originally released in 1991. Since then, the movie has grossed more than $424 million world wide, including its Imax and 3-D re-releases. The movie was also one of the few animated films to be nominated for an Oscar in the best picture category.
The live-action movie is scheduled to start filming later this year. There is currently no release date attached to the film.
