Emma Watson has finally revealed why she turned down the role as Cinderella in Kenneth Branagh's take on the Disney classic in favour of playing Belle in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast.
The actress exclusively revealed to Total Film magazine that she didn’t believe the fairy tale princess was enough of a role model for young women.
The 26-year-old explained, "I didn't know they were going to make Beauty And The Beast at the time I turned down Cinderella.”
She continued: "But when they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did. She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that's the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice."
The UN Women Goodwill Ambassador did however also have reservations about playing the role of Belle in the remake and only agreed to take on the role after collaborating with director Bill Condon in shaping the character.
For example, in order to create a more feminist Belle, Emma ensured that the female lead was the inventor as opposed to her father like in the original film.
Emma told Total Film magazine, "In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring. She’s not easily swayed by other people’s perspective; not swayed by fearmongering or scapegoating."
She continued: "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?' 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.”
The role of Cinderella was eventually played by Downton Abbey star Lily James.
Beauty and the Beast will be released in cinemas on March 17, 2017
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