She's Disney's Next Princess! Does Emma Watson Have What It Takes to Sing 'Belle'?

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this week, actress Emma Watson has been cast as Belle in Disney's upcoming live-action interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. The film is directed by Bill Condon and produced by Mandeville Films' David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Production is anticipated to begin later this year.

Watson is best known for her role of Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter film series; she was cast as Hermione at the age of nine, having previously acted only in school plays. She starred in all eight Harry Potter films, alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint. Watson's work on the Harry Potter series has earned her several awards. In 2007, Watson announced her involvement in The Tale of Despereaux and the television adaptation of the novel Ballet Shoes, which was broadcast on 26 December 2007 to an audience of 5.2 million. The Tale of Despereaux, based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo, was released in 2008 and grossed more than US$86 million in worldwide sales. In 2012, she starred in Stephen Chbosky's film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and in 2014, she played Ila in Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic Noah.

She has plenty of film credits to her name, but this will mark the star's first forray into musicals. She recently posted on her official Facebook page: "My six year old self is on the ceiling - heart bursting. Time to start some singing lessons." According to HitFlix, the film will include 'most if not all' of the songs from the movie and Broadway musical.

This leaves us thinking, does Emma got what it takes to sing some of the most cherished Disney tunes of all time? Brush up on Belle's songs below and listen to "Pantomine", featuring backing vocals by Watson, and decide for yourself!