( CNN ) Emma Watson is the new Belle of the `` Beast . '' The `` Harry Potter '' star revealed Monday that she 's been cast as Belle in the live-action version of `` Beauty and the Beast . '' Disney confirmed the news . The film will be directed by Bill Condon ( `` Gods and Monsters , '' the final two `` Twilight '' films ) . According to the Internet Movie Database , Stephen Chbosky ( `` The Perks of Being a Wallflower '' ) will have a hand in the screenplay . The original `` Beauty and the Beast , '' from 1991 , was the first animated feature to be nominated for a best picture Oscar . It featured the voices of Robby Benson as the Beast and Paige O'Hara as Belle , and it included the memorable songs `` Be Our Guest '' and `` Something There . '' It was turned into a Broadway musical in 1994 , the first of Disney 's animated films to make the jump to Broadway . Naturally , the Internet went completely nuts over the news . Fans will have to wait a while , though . The film is n't even scheduled to go into production until later this year . No release date has been announced .
Emma Watson will play Belle in a live-action `` Beauty and the Beast '' The new film is based on the 1991 Disney classic .