Be Entertained!

How the star reinvented a Disney princess with beauty and brains

Emma Watson is bringing Beauty and the Beast to life, but not without a few changes. “I’ve loved Beauty and the Beast since I was about four years old,” tells the 26-year-old actress who plays Belle in the remake of Disney’s cartoon original. “She was this feisty young woman who spoke her mind, had all these ambitions and who was incredibly independent.” But Emma felt a heavy weight on her shoulders to deliver a Disney princess who lived up to her feminist ideals.

“I couldn’t care less if I won an Oscar or not if the movie didn’t say something that I felt was important to hear.”

In the live-action version, Emma worked with the costume designer to create pockets in Belle’s dress and changed her blue ballet slippers to riding boots.

While the cartoon classic saw her as an assistant to her father, this time she’s an inventor in her own right.

“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,” explains Emma.

“In our version, she’s an activist in her own community. She’s teaching other young girls, who are part of the village, to read.

“I love moments like that, where you could see her expanding beyond just her own little world and trying to grow. That was amazing to get to do.”