Emma Watson is a total badass. She’s also only 24, so all the wonderful things she’s already accomplished throw our dreary, plebeian lives into dramatic relief. Last year, as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Watson introduced the He for She program with an inspiring speech that encouraged men to take up the feminism mantle and promote equality between the sexes. In 2013, after starring in the Harry Potter films for approximately 4,000 (witch) years, Watson bid “Evanesco!” (that’s a vanishing spell, for you wizarding newbs) to her sorcery-centric career, starring in the critically acclaimed Bling Ring and sending up her image in This Is The End. Somewhere in there, she managed to graduate from Brown with a degree in English lit. So, just to reiterate, at 24, her career has already had two big prosperous phases, and she’s proven herself brilliant, thoughtful, driven, and socially aware. She’s already got three projects lined up for 2015—Alejandro Amenábar’s Regression, Florian Gallenberger’s Colonia, and Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. Hey, what had you done by 24, guys? I had gotten really, really good at Netflix!
Today, Watson shared via her Facebook page (such a Millennial!) that she’ll be playing Belle in Disney’s forthcoming live-action Beauty And The Beast, reminding all of us decrepit oldies how young and successful she is by casually mentioning how young (and, probably, successful) she was when Beauty And The Beast’s cartoon version came out in 1991. “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,’” she wrote. “My six-year-old self is on the ceiling—heart bursting. Time to start some singing lessons.”
Okay. Now that we all feel great for Emma and terrible about ourselves, here are some easy-to-understand details about the project for our rapidly fading minds: Bill Condon will be directing Beauty And The Beast, which has a script from Stephen Chbosky (who directed Watson in 2012’s Perks Of Being A Wallflower) and Evan Spilotopoulos. The film is set to begin production this year, and doesn’t yet have a release date. And here are some confusing details: This version of the Disney classic isn’t to be confused with the competing Beauty And The Beast over at Warner Brothers, previously helmed by Guillermo del Toro. Watson was set to star in that version in early 2012, but once del Toro dropped out, he “gave Disney their blessing to hire Watson,” according to /Film.
In other words, Watson’s getting her fairy-tale ending, despite del Toro’s inability to handle his own scheduling. Tale as old as time!