Emma Watson will play Belle in a live-action Beauty and the Beast remake
Disney's live-action remake of the 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast has found its Belle. Emma Watson, best known for playing Hermione in the Harry Potter series, will star in the film.
Waston confirmed the news of her casting on her own 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."
After the box-office successes of recent movies like 2010's Alice in Wonderland and last year's Maleficent, Disney has been busily mining its animated history for new live-action films. A live-action adaptation of Cinderella is bound for theaters in March.
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