Emma Watson, Tom Hanks’ New Movie ‘The Circle’ Explores Perils Of Social Media

While the world is discussing the nitty-gritty of The Beauty And The Beast, Emma Watson is quietly waiting for her next big blockbuster.

The Circle starring Tom Hanks and Emma Watson will hit the theaters on April 28.

The movie is based on a book by Dave Eggers, who explores the dangers of the digital world. The story revolves around the life of Mae Holland, a tech geek, who joins a powerful internet firm.

Emma Watson plays the role of nerdy Mae Holland. Like many ambitious young techies of the Silicon Valley, Mae believes it is an opportunity of a lifetime when she gets hired by the tech giant.

She is impressed by her employer’s sprawling campus in California, their cozy dorms, gym facilities and more.

As a rising star in the company, she witnesses new technologies that could disrupt and destroy the world as we know it.

In an age of Youtube celebrities and social media superstars, where sharing everything from your favorite food to selfies on the beach, The Circle perfectly captures the hypocrisy the touchscreen world is caught in.

Director James Ponsoldt is happy about roping in Tom Hanks and Emma Watson for this futuristic thriller.

“The Circle is probably like many tech companies, pushing the ethical boundaries over how much autonomy and freedom we should have and how much privacy we should have,” director Ponsoldt told USA Today.

He added that the central issues are about privacy and surveillance and not just the gadgets we use.

“We were really, really lucky to get Emma Watson, who’s just a brilliant human being and she’s kind of a hero to a lot of people and justifiably so. She stands for a lot. She’s a deep thinker, she’s a challenging thinker, and she’s a really great partner in the film.Working with Emma and Tom Hanks was a dream come true. They’re both smart, passionate, and incredibly generous,” he said, according to Emma Watson’s website.

Ponsoldt added that he is a huge fan of both and said that he has seen every film they’ve each made.

About The Circle, Ponsoldt said, “We live through Mae. She is us. You will walk out of the theater and have a serious look at yourself and how you’re living your life. Mae becomes a pseudo-celebrity with her superpower, that she’s natural, relatable, and willing to speak freely about everything in her life. But it gets to the point where it’s almost a religion and then a glass prison of celebrity.”

Tom Hanks, on the other hand, plays one of the company’s co-founders. From Ponsoldt’s description, it is apparent that he is someone like Apple’s Steve Jobs or Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.

“The character that Tom plays, Bailey, he’s someone who actually really believes in democratizing society through the accumulation and total dissemination of all human experience for all the right reasons. He wants to knock down the walls and give everyone equal access to the same experience, and make money while he’s doing it! You’ve got someone who is kind of a cult of personality, and it’s obvious why people would listen to him,” he said.

The movie also drives home concepts such as “secrets are lies,” “sharing is caring,” and “privacy is theft.”

Check out Emma Watson’s hilarious interview with Jimmy Kimmel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYWWF-wC8k0

“Tom is the most game actor on earth. He was the first person we cast, and he is completely aware of how people perceive him, and what he brings to the table. I think he had a blast, and he just delivered everything that the role needed,” Ponsoldt told Cinema Blend.

I love her. #emmawatson pic.twitter.com/YV7HIEJS9t

— Emma ?????? (@EyeglassEmma) March 5, 2017

The Circle starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks will probably make us re-think the way we use the internet and social media.

[Featured Image by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Images]