We’re looking forward to seeing actress and all-around #girlboss Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast come March, but did you know that she almost became a different Disney princess?
Emma shared that she was offered the role of Cinderella, directed by fellow Harry Potter alum Kenneth Branagh, but the actress turned down the role as she didn’t find Cinderella to be enough of a role model.
“I didn’t know they were going to make Beauty And The Beast at the time I turned down Cinderella. But when they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did.
She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that’s the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice.”
Emma was also influential in reworking Belle as more feminist, with an “empowering defiance”, as she had a hand in certain decisions such as making Belle the inventor, instead of her father.
We’re not complaining: after all, Lily James rocked as Cinderella, and if the trailers and promos are any indication, Emma is going to completely slay as Belle — and inspire more young girls to follow her footsteps!
Thoughts on this? Are you excited for Beauty and the Beast?
