Emma Watson to Star in Guillermo Del Toro's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

According to Variety, sources now confirm that actress Emma Watson is in 'final negotiations' to play the starring role in Warner Brothers upcoming film BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Guillermo Del Toro is set to direct and produce the period piece. Andrew Davies, who penned the scripts for 'The Three Muskateers and Bridget Jone's Diary, is currently working on the script.

Del Toro is currently working on the sci-fi adventure film Pacific Rim, starring Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, Rinko Kikuchi, Max Martini, Willem Dafoe, Robert Kazinsky, Clifton Collins Jr, Diego Klattenhoff and Ron Perlman. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters in 2013.

Watson can currently be seen in My Week With Marilyn and will appear in the upcoming The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The actress rose to prominence playing Hermione Granger, one of three starring roles in the Harry Potter film series. Watson was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays.From 2001 to 2011, she starred in seven Harry Potter films alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. Watson's work on the Harry Potter series has earned her several awards and more than £10 million. The last installment of the series was just released in theatres on July 15.

In 2007, Watson announced her involvement in two non-Harry Potter productions: the television adaptation of the novel Ballet Shoes and an animated film, The Tale of Despereaux. Ballet Shoes was broadcast on 26 December 2007 to an audience of 5.2 million, and The Tale of Despereaux, based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo, was released in 2008 and grossed over US $70 million in worldwide sales.