Emma Watson is the new Belle of the “Beast.”

    The “Harry Potter” star revealed on Monday that she’s been cast as Belle in the live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast.”

    Disney confirmed the news.

    The film will be directed by Bill Condon, who directed “Gods and Monsters” and the final two “Twilight” films. According to the Internet Movie Database, Stephen Chbosky will have a hand in the screenplay.

    The original “Beauty and the Beast,” from 1991, was the first animated feature to be nominated for a best picture Oscar. It featured the voices of Robby Benson as the Beast and Paige O’Hara as Belle, and it included the memorable songs “Be Our Guest” and “Something There.”

    It was turned into a Broadway musical in 1994, the first of Disney’s animated films to make the jump to Broadway.

    Naturally, the Internet went completely nuts over the news.

    Fans will have to wait a while, though. The film isn’t even scheduled to go into production until later this year. No release date has been announced.

    (SD-Agencies)