Emma Watson has a definite favorite among the Disney princesses.
The actress eagerly accepted the role of Belle in the upcoming live-action Beauty and the Beast movie, but reveals that she turned down the chance to play Cinderella. Instead, Lily James got the starring role in the live-action Cinderella movie.
"When they offered me Belle, I just felt the character resonated with me so much more than Cinderella did," Watson told Total Film, according to Vulture. "There's this kind of outsider quality that Belle had, and the fact she had this really empowering defiance of what was expected of her. In a strange way, she challenges the status quo of the place she lives in, and I found that really inspiring."
"She manages to keep her integrity and have a completely independent point of view," she elaborated. "She's not easily swayed by other people's perspective — not swayed by fear-mongering or scapegoating."
As an outspoken feminist, it's easy to see why Watson's drawn to Belle's independence and strong moral compass. She even helped give the film a modern makeover. In the new story, the protagonist is an inventor who created a washing machine that saves her time so she can read.
None of this is to throw shade on Cinderella. Still, we would have loved to see her get the same kind of update.
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