For Real This Time: EW Reveals Emma Watson as Belle

The rumor mills have been turning since Emma Watson was named as Disney’s Belle. There have been faux pictures of Emma in Belle’s gown and other outfits. The real deal is finally here! Entertainment Weekly’s next magazine features a full spread on Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast. We finally get our first look at Emma Watson in Belle’s iconic dress, Dan Stevens as the Beast, and more!

Emma’s dress for Belle takes after the design for Lily James’s dress in Disney’s live-action Cinderella–lots of layers of fabric.

Inside the newest edition of EW’s magazine, a full spread of Beauty and the Beast material has been made available for audiences. Nine of the photos published were also made available online, exclusively on EW’s website, here. The pictures include photos of the castle residence as objects, Luke Evans as Gaston in his bar-singing solo, Belle teaching the Beast to read, Belle with her father (played by Kevin Kline), and Emma taking Belle’s dress for a spin.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The mantel clock Cogsworth, the teapot Mrs. Potts, Lumiere the candelabra and the feather duster Plumette

Entertainment Weekly discussed the magazine cover release in an article, saying:

“Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Emma Watson who really, really, really loved Disney’s 1991 animated classic, Beauty and the Beast. ‘I can’t even think how many times I watched it as a child,’ says the former Harry Potter star. ‘I knew all the words by heart. I knew all the songs by heart.'”

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Gaston (Luke Evans) a handsome but arrogant brute, holds court in the village tavern.

Now, Watson has put her love for — and knowledge of — the film to uniquely productive use. She is playing Belle in a new live-action remake of Beauty and Beast, which will be released March 17 and costars Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as the Beast, Luke Evans (The Hobbit) as Belle’s egomaniacal suitor Gaston, and Josh Gad (Frozen) as Gaston’s sidekick, Le Fou. For this week’s cover story, EW visited the film’s U.K. set and spoke with all of the above, as well as director Bill Condon and costume designer Jacqueline Durran, who talked about creating the new version of the iconic yellow dress Belle wears in the original film’s ballroom scene. In addition, we chatted with Ewan McGregor, who voices the enchanted, “Be Our Guest”-performing candelabra Lumière, and Sir Ian McKellen, who plays the clock Cogsworth and was apparently desperate to get his own big production number. “I kept singing what I thought would be a rather good addition to the score,” says the X-Men franchise star. “‘My name is Cogsworth!/ And I’m a clock!/Ticktock!’ But I didn’t get my own song.”

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The Beast (Dan Stevens) and Belle (Emma Watson) in the castle library

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Belle (Emma Watson) in the Ballroom of the Beast’s castle.

Readers can also find out about the film’s new songs — penned by Alan Menken and Tim Rice — and feast their eyes on an array of exclusive photos featuring all of the aforementioned characters as well as Belle’s father, Maurice (Kevin Kline), Mrs Potts. (Emma Thompson), and Plumette (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Emma Watson stars as Belle and Kevin Kline is Maurice, Belle’s father.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Emma Watson as Belle

We are so excited, we can hardly wait to see new trailers for the film, or sit still for March 2017!