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Emma Watson Meets Her Hairy Love Interest In ‘Beauty And The Beast’ Stills, Her Belle Gets Quirky Twist

By Treva Bowdoin
Published on: 12:57 PST, Nov 3, 2016

It was obvious that Emma Watson was going to make the perfect Belle from the moment that Disney fans first learned that she’d been cast as the brunette bookworm. But what about the furry prince who steals Belle’s heart in Beauty and the Beast? Are fans falling in love with Dan Stevens’ take on the man who looks like a monster?

Entertainment Weekly just released a treasure trove of new still photos from Disney’s live-action version of Beauty and the Beast, and Emma Watson really does look like a living, breathing version of Belle. In one picture, the Harry Potter star wears a slightly tweaked version of the iconic yellow dress that the future princess dons during the classic animated movie’s beloved ballroom scene.

Emma Watson’s version of Belle’s voluminous ballroom gown is made of layers of organza, and it’s adorned with beautiful gold accents that match the design on the ballroom floor. Watson is a big fan of costume designer Jacqueline Durran’s creation, calling the tiered gown “utterly whimsical, and magical.”

It looks like the live-action Beauty and the Beast movie will have a lot in common with the animated film, but Emma Watson told Entertainment Weekly that her Belle is going to be a bit different; the character has been given a feminist twist. Instead of spending her days complaining about how boring her quiet little village is, Belle is going to spend some of her free time inventing contraptions that make provincial life easier.

In the animated Beauty and the Beast film, Belle’s father Maurice (played by Kevin Kline in the live-action film) is the inventor in the family. However, Emma Watson thought that it would be fun to steal that quirky career choice for Belle so that her character would be a little more fleshed-out. It also helps explain how Belle can spend so much time with her nose buried in books.

“I was like, ‘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?'” Emma said. “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.”

Belle seemingly gets her ability to create machines from her father; Maurice makes beautiful music boxes in the live-action movie.

When Belle moves in with the Beast (Dan Stevens), it looks like she won’t be getting the princess treatment right away. In one movie still, Emma Watson can be seen cleaning a large circular window in his dusty old castle.

Unsurprisingly, some of the new Beauty and the Beast movie stills getting the most attention are those that show Emma Watson interacting with Dan Stevens’ Beast. In one photo, he appeals to Belle’s love of books by opening up one of the many he owns while she looks on. The items covering his desk suggest that he’s a bit of an intellectual; some of the objects that are visible include an exquisite chess set and multiple armillary spheres.

Beauty and the Beast fans are absolutely in love with Emma Watson’s look in the new movie, but they aren’t so crazy about Dan Stevens’ Beast. As BuzzFeed reports, disappointed fans took to Twitter to complain about the horned aristocrat’s appearance.

“WHY is the Beast so ugly he looks like he’s from Pan’s Labyrinth,” @suic1dezquad wrote.

“I had kinda hoped we wouldn’t see the Beast until the movie came out. At the very least I hoped he wouldn’t look like.. that,” @sunbonnettrio tweeted.

It should be noted that the Beast/Prince Adam isn’t supposed to be beautiful; the witch who cursed the spoiled royal wanted to make sure that his outward appearance was a total turnoff. However, when Emma Watson’s Belle looks at the Beast, she’ll be seeing human eyes; Dan Stevens’ baby blues are the only part of the character that isn’t CGI.

You can check out Emma Watson and Dan Stevens’ retelling of a romantic tale as old as time when Disney’s Beauty and the Beast hits theaters on March 17, 2017.

[Featured Image by Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Huffington Post]

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