Emma Watson embodies Belle gracefully in the first official trailer for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast.
Disney used original music and some shot-for-shot recreations of scenes from its classic animated film to bring the nostalgia to the trailer. We see the iconic dance between Belle and Beast, along with a shot of the wilting red rose. You also see Mrs. Potts, Chip Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth and Gaston.
Watson recently spoke about playing Belle in Beauty and the Beast during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Watson is also known for her activism and is an advocate for women’s rights. The original Beauty and the Beast was criticized for it’s portrayal of Belle, a woman who essentially falls in love with her captor. Watson believes Belle is a great character and believes she’s more complex than some people realized.
“It’s interesting because it’s sort of made my role as an actor more complicated,” Watson told EW. “Obviously, in this capacity, I’m not being employed as a scriptwriter, I’m not in charge of the narrative, I’m not director, I’m not the editor. But I obviously have very strong views, and opinions, and those are personal, but I also have very strong views, and opinions, about my character and making that work.”
Watson continued, “So, it’s been interesting to come back to being an actress post-activism and trying to reconcile those two very different roles. But I think Belle as a character represents a woman who is willing to stand outside of what is expected of her, and chase her dreams, chase her intuition, and I think that that will really resonate and really appeal.”
Hopefully Belle’s portrayal will be a little more progressive this time around. What did you think about the trailer? Let us know in the comments below. Beauty and the Beast debuts in theaters March 17, 2017.
