In a new trailer for Disney’s upcoming live-action version of 1991’s Beauty and the Beast, we finally got to hear Emma Watson’s singing voice as Belle. And it’s… acceptable? Tolerable? No one will pass out in the theatre and children susceptible to epileptic fits should be okay. Check out the clip below:
Of course, Watson benefits from the Disney machine’s audio wizardry to make absolutely damn sure her voice doesn’t do Belle a disservice. I don’t know if I’d gush about how “perfect” it is, but my eardrums aren’t bleeding. Is it a revolution for the character of Belle or an improvement of the original Belle’s vocals? No. But it’s fine.
In an interview with Elle UK, Watson said, “For me, Beauty was the perfect, most joyful thing to do. There was something connected about Hermione and Belle, and it was good to be reminded that I am an actress; this is what I do. The film is pure escapism.”
Watson also considered some of the story’s critiques, including the one that Belle is suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, in taking the role.
"She has none of the characteristics of someone with Stockholm syndrome because she keeps her independence; she keeps that freedom of thought," Watson explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I also think there is a very intentional switch where, in my mind, Belle decides to stay. She's giving him hell. There is no sense of 'I need to kill this guy with kindness.' Or any sense that she deserves this. In fact, she gives as good as she gets. He bangs on the door, she bangs back. There's this defiance that 'You think I'm going to come and eat dinner with you and I'm your prisoner—absolutely not.'”
Finally, Watson considers Belle an excellent role model for young women and ensured it in a “collaborative” process with director Bill Condren.
“She remains curious, compassionate and open-minded. And that's the kind of woman I would want to embody as a role model, given the choice,” she stated in an interview with Total Film. “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's not easily swayed by other people's perspective—not swayed by fear-mongering or scapegoating.”
Also, um, look, I can’t resist, check out the Beauty and the Beast trailer but with Eddie Murphy in it:
So, are you going to see Beauty and the Beast when it comes out Mar. 17? Do you wish Eddie Murphy was in it…? Feel free to let us know in the comments section below.
