PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER Author to Pen Disney's New Live-Action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Stephen Chbosky, who wrote the cult YA novel THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER and helmed/directed its film adaptation, has signed on to write a new draft of Disney's live-action BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Not only that, but if Warner Bros' competing BEAUTY AND THE BEAST film falls through (now that Guillermo del Toro has backed down from the project), its star Emma Watson, who worked with Chbosky on 'PERKS', could potentially jump ship to Disney's feature.

Bill Condon helms Disney's upcoming adaptation of their classic tale, which will feature music from the animated feature as well as the Broadway musical. Evan Spiliotopoulos (HERCULES) wrote the original script.

Chbosky also wrote the screenplay for 2005's film adaptation of RENT and has written epsiodes for the TV series JERICHO and BRUTALLY NORMAL.

Ever since ALICE IN WONDERLAND's success in 2010, Disney has slowly been adapting their classics into live-action films. MALEFICENT recently hit theaters and will be followed by CINDERELLA, helmed by Kenneth Branagh, and Jon Favreau's THE JUNGLE BOOK.

Condon, whose next project is MR. HOLMES, has most recently directed THE FIFTH ESTATE and the final two movies in THE TWILIGHT SAGA. He also directed GODS AND MONSTERS, which won him and Oscar, as well as KINSEY. Condon also has experience with the theatrical side of film; he is resposible for writing the script for the movie versions of CHICAGO and DREAMGIRLS, which he also directed.

Based on the 1991 Academy-Award winning animated feature film, Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST premiered on Broadway in 1994, where it was nominated for nine prestigious Tony Awards and ran for 13 years. It still ranks as one of the longest-running and highest-grossing Broadway shows of all time. Since its debut, the titles visibility and success has expanded globally with subsequent productions produced around the world.

Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

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