Many diehard Harry Potter fans were intrigued but concerned about Emma Watson's new role as Belle in the 2017 version of Beauty and the Beast. Some believe that younger generations will now only know Watson as Belle, and not the iconic Hermione Granger. However, this did not stop crowds from coming out St. Patrick's Day weekend to see this film, as it made over $170 million dollars already.
In many interviews, Watson has talked about her new role as Belle, and says that she is "spiritually linked" to Harry Potter's Hermione. While many critics of Disney films say that the princesses are bad role models because of their figures, lack of intelligence, and dependency, Belle is very different. She is educated, loves to read, and has a talent for inventions. These characteristics are very similar to Hermione, and as Watson has said in a recent interview, "Their love of literature was part of the appeal." She also refers to the film as "pure escapism."
Many fans have noticed Watson was hiding in the shadows for a few years after finishing up the Harry Potter films. She was focusing her time on her activism efforts, especially gender equality(she recently participated in the Women's March after the 2016 election).
Watson has a history of playing strong, independent women. Many have noticed that she is not going outside of her range, however, this role is somewhat different from Hermione. We are able to see her glamorous side and that she has the capability to sing, and it sounds really good!
