Fandom

Written by Lily Tudor.

Hermione Granger fans from around the world are awaiting March 2017, when they will get to see their favourite know-it-all Gryffindor as the book loving fairy tale princess. The selection of Emma Watson to play Belle in Beauty in the Beast almost seems too good to true. But what does Emma Watson have to say about her new role in a happily-ever-after?

According to Entertainment Weekly, Emma Watson knows the Disney’s original Beauty and the Beast just as well as Hermione Granger knew the Hogwarts textbooks: word for word. And apparently, Watson’s intimate knowledge of the Beauty and the Beast original has given her a firm basis for challenging the script and the story. Google news is flooded with articles about how Emma Watson has reshaped the character of Belle. Instead of Belle’s father, Maurice, being an inventor, it will be Belle who takes on the role in the 2017 film.  Emma Watson explains how she encouraged the change to be made, saying  “Well, there was never very much information or detail at the beginning of the story as to why Belle didn’t fit in, other than she liked books. Also what is she doing with her time?’ So, we created a backstory for her, which was that she had invented a kind of washing machine, so that, instead of doing laundry, she could sit and use that time to read instead. So, yeah, we made Belle an inventor.”

When Emma Watson takes on an acting job, she doesn’t settle for just being a beauty. Her intellect comes through in her all her roles. Not only that, but having a director willing to change the course of the film for her (awesome job, Bill Condon!), really highlights Watson’s value as an actress.

The many parallels between the characters of Hermione and Belle only add to the excitement of the upcoming film. The obvious comparison of them as readers is only the start of the similarities. Hermione’s intelligence correlates to Watson’s new vision of Belle as the inventor. Time adds to this list of comparisons with a couple moments from the Harry Potter series. Hermione and Belle are both able to show compassion to “Beasts,” with Hermione able to develop a relationship with Grawp (Hagrid’s half-giant brother). Both Belle and Hermione come from ordinary worlds to live in castles filled with magic, with Hermione being a muggleborn discovering that she is a witch and heading to Hogwarts to hone he powers, and Belle coming from a small village to the Beast’s castle. They also both have “big-reveal” moments on stairs in ball gowns, with Hermione’s grand entrance at the Yule Ball, and Belle has her dance with the Beast.

So what do you think about Watson’s role in the new Beauty and the Beast film? Do the similarities between Hermione and Belle affect your interest in the new film?