Emma Watson stepping into Belle's shoes for Beauty and the Beast
Actress Emma Watson is set to receive a makeover as a Disney princess after landing the role of Belle in the upcoming remake of Beauty And The Beast.
The Harry Potter star was first linked to the part in late 2011, when producer Denise Di Novi let slip the Brit was in talks with director Guillermo del Toro and planning to sign on to his live-action film after he described her as the "perfect" actress for the part.
However, the Warner Bros. project stalled and last summer (14), Del
Toro exited the film, which had been tentatively titled Beast.
Disney executives subsequently moved swiftly to secure Watson for
their own version, with Dreamgirls filmmaker Bill Condon at the
helm.
The Disney movie will be based on a script penned by Stephen
Chbosky, who directed Watson in 2012 drama The Perks of Being a
Wallflower.
Announcing the news on Facebook.com on Monday (26Jan15), Watson
reveals the role is a childhood dream come true.
She writes, "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 (songs) '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."
Production on the Disney film is due to begin later this year
(15).