Disney has poached Emma Watson from Warner Bros. to play Belle in their live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast," according to The Wrap.
Bill Condon will direct the musical film, which will incorporate songs from the 1991 animated film as well as the Broadway production. Disney hired Stephen Chbosky, who directed Watson in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," to write a new script. Evan Spiliotopoulos turned in the original draft.
The 24-year-old Watson announced her exciting news in a Facebook post on Monday.
"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," she wrote.
Warner Bros. had originally cast the "Harry Potter" star to play the same role in the film "Beauty." Production came to a halt last summer when director Guillermo del Toro dropped out of the project. Del Toro gave Watson his blessing to pursue the Disney version when the studio started courting her for its movie, according to The Wrap.
Disney has found success reimagining their classic animated fairy tales as live-action adventures. Angelina Jolie starred in last year's "Maleficent," which grossed nearly $758 million worldwide.
The studio has "Cinderella" on tap for this March with Lily James as the title character and Helena Bonham Carter as her Fairy Godmother. Jon Favreau is also directing a live-action version of the "Jungle Book," premiering next April.
"Beauty and the Beast" will start production this year, but Disney has not set a release date yet.
