Emma Watson Thinks Belle Is a Better Disney Princess Than Cinderella

In 2013, Variety reported that Emma Watson was considering playing Cinderella. Eventually Watson turned down the part that wound up going to Lily James. In an interview with Total Film, Watson explained why she didn’t join Kenneth Branagh’s movie. It wasn’t because she wanted to do Beauty and the Beast instead.

“I didn’t know they were going to make Beauty and the Beast at the time I turned down Cinderella,” explained Watson. “When they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did.”

Watson explained why she prefers Belle. “There’s this kind of outsider quality that Belle had, and the fact she had this really empowering defiance of what was expected of her,” the Harry Potter star said. “In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring.”

“She manages to keep her integrity and have a completely independent point of view. She’s not easily swayed by other people’s perspective, not swayed by fear-mongering or scapegoating.”

If Emma Watson’s excited to play Belle, she’s not alone. Beauty and the Beast is one of the most anticipated films of 2017. The trailer, released in November, was viewed a record-breaking 127.6 million times in the first 24 hours.

Mark Hamill Can Do a Really Good Harrison Ford Impression:

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