She was already halfway there. Some people just have that “living cartoon” look, like they were drawn by Disney animators then stumbled out of Cool World on accident. Emma Stone has that look and Tom Hiddleston too—he’s a live-action Disney prince if ever there was one. Emma Watson also looks like a live-action Disney character, and it’s now official as she’s been cast in Disney’s live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.
They weren’t the only people to have this idea. Guillermo Del Toro was working on a darker take on the story—it’s about Stockholm Syndrome, it’s already pretty dark—for Warner Brothers and he wanted Watson to star as Belle, but that project fell through last year. Once it did, Disney stepped in and offered her the role in their version, which is apparently going to be a musical, as Watson posted on Facebook about singing lessons. So this isn’t going to be a new/reimagined version a la Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, this is going to literally be a live-action version of the Disney musical. I’m totally okay with this. I love “Be Our Guest”.
There’s good talent behind the camera on this project, too. Bill Condon is directing, and while he can be a little up and down (Twilight: Breaking Dawn was no one’s finest work), he is a good stylist for period pieces. Stephen Chbosky co-wrote the script, having previously worked with Watson on the quietly impressive Perks of Being a Wallflower—that’s good repeat mojo. There’s really only one thing missing—cast Tom Hiddleston as The Beast. That’s a no brainer, right?
Attached - Emma Watson running errands in London last week.
