Six weeks on from its theatrical launch and Beauty and the Beast has climbed all the way to $1.05 billion – not bad for a tale as old as time – and though Disney has ruled out the possibility of a direct sequel, a prequel or some form of spinoff movie isn’t necessarily off the table.
One member of the cast that is absolutely on board with a continuation is Emma Watson, who brought Belle to life with style and grace back in March. The former Harry Potter star is currently doing the press rounds for The Circle, James Ponsoldt’s timely tech thriller in which she plays a new recruit swept under the titular, nefarious corporation, but it wasn’t long before the conversation veered toward Beauty and the Beast and, more specifically, what lies ahead for one of Disney’s most iconic characters.
Now, you may be wondering how the Mouse House could possibly engineer the next chapter in Belle’s story without treading on the toes of Bill Condon’s live-action reimagining. It’s the reason why a spinoff movie is arguably more feasible than, say, a direct continuation that dives back into the quaint village of Villeneuve. Emma Watson has another idea, though, after discussing her vision for Beauty and the Beast 2 with Access Hollywood.
I always thought that Belle would become a teacher and she would run the library in the castle and open it up to the village. This was where I was going.
And though it’s not strictly speaking apples to apples, an impressive box office haul was enough for Disney to issue the green light on a sequel to Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book – incidentally, the director is currently busy with another of the studio’s live-action pictures: The Lion King – and $1.05 billion is surely too big for the Mouse House to ignore. Perhaps Emma Watson will headline a spinoff movie that only includes a select handful of characters from the original? Time will tell.
We’ll be keeping you right up to date with the future of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast as this story unfolds. The Circle, meanwhile, hits select theaters today, and you’ll be able to find our verdict from Tribeca 2017 here.
