Emma Watson Replaces Scarlett "Too Old" Johansson In Film

Emma Watson, aka Hermione from the "Harry Potter" films, landed a plum role in an upcoming movie after Scarlett Johansson was deemed overage:

"Harry Potter" heroine Emma Watson is attached to star in the period romance "Napoleon and Betsy," replacing Scarlett Johansson who was deemed too old for the role.

Watson, 18, will play Betsy Balcombe, a young, impetuous noblewoman trapped on the isolated British island of St. Helena who falls in love with Napoleon, who has been exiled there.

Johansson, 23, is still serving as a producer. The indie project comes from writer-director Benjamin Ross.

Watson is known for her role as Hermione Granger in Warner Bros.' "Harry Potter" films, and is completing filming on the sixth installment, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

With filming of the last chapter, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," scheduled to commence in early 2009, Watson hopes to shoot "Napoleon and Betsy" in the fall.

In other Watson news, she turned 18 this week, on April 15. Along with that birthday came access to her substantial "Harry Potter" money: about $20 million in earnings:

Emma Watson, the actress who has played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films since she was 12, gained access to a cool £10.5 million worth of earnings after coming of age this week...

Her parents are reported to be among a select, but growing, band of mothers and fathers taking steps to ensure that their wealthy teenagers don't blow their fortunes on sex, drugs and rock'n'roll by enrolling her in an intensive three-day financial education course run by the private bank Coutts.

Comments

[bookon]

Firstly, Scarlett looks older than she is. Secondly, the part is for a teenager. Scarlett had a hard time doing that when she WAS a teenager.

[FirstShirt]

That's ok. The idea of Scarlett being an "older" woman is somehow erotic.

[carex]

Too, old? But worth the over acting of Emma?

[TheWesternBreed]

Betsy Balcombe, daughter of an Englishman assigned to Napoleon's place of exile on St. Helena Island, was Napoleon's friend when she was between the ages of 13-16. So of course the younger an actress that could be cast, the truer to life, that's all. I don't think anyone considers Scarlett over the hill yet, but having her play a girl of middle-school age would be absurd.

Elizabeth Balcombe Abell wrote her invaluable book "Recollections of Napoleon" when she was in her forties. Sample: "”I never met with anyone who bore childish liberties so well as Napoleon. He seemed to enter into every sort of mirth or fun with the glee of a child, and though I have often tried his patience severely, I never knew him to lose his temper or fall back upon his rank or age to shield himself from the consequences of his own familiarity or of his indulgence to me.”

It could make for a nice movie.

[Harrier]

You would think, the producers would have thought about this when they made the first estimate

[vandegrasse]

I thought it was f..... up when fifty was considered old. What a world indeed!

[Wyntyr]

Good for Emma! I think she has a lot of talent and this is a great role for her to play.

[adzeman]

Poor Scarlett, washed up at 23. I'm opening a home for over the hill actresses if you need shelter Ms Johansson. Free of charge. LOL

[kellygrrrl]

I think it's possibly more the case that she is
"too Sexy"
it's not an age thing, but a "look" thing

[JustifiablyParanoid]

I had the same impression. Sometime your looks - like it or not - box you in for one reason or another. Probably the case here, because goodness knows, at 23, she isn't bloody old.

[Pippilangstrumpf]

In my opinion, Emma is not a very good actress. Talk about emoting. I thought she was HORRIBLE as Hermione. In the books, Hermione was a know it all and she was often exasperated with her cohorts...­but she was not bitchy.
She had a vulnerable charm in the books, but that definitely did not carry over into the movies.
In the movies, Emma had a constant scowl on her face...it was very disconcerting to me, and it's like she did nothing but turn Hermione into an over-emoting tween bitch.

I don't think we'll be seeing much of her on the big screen in the coming years.

[djg55555]

I agree completely. Of the three (Radcliffe, Grint, and Watson), only Radcliffe showed any spark of acting talent. Of course, all three are obvously very attractive, and therein lies your answer. Which I think is quite sad.

[wildflowermaven]

Although Hollywood is famous for tossing women aside when they start to age, I have to make one comment on the possibility that the filmmakers made the right decision. Some roles need to be age appropriate, like could you imagine a 20 year old playing Hermione Granger in the 1st Harry Potter movie when the character was supposed to be 12?
I don't know the situation, but I know of cases where having older actresses play certain roles interferes with the story. One experience I had was with some of the Jane Austen adaptations, like Sense and Sensibility. I couldn't really relate to why Marianne was so passionate and tempestuous until I realized the character is supposed to be 16-17 years old. The movie I had seen featured a great, but older actress playing her, and I couldn't figure out why she was so clueless. I recently saw a different adaptation with an actress closer to the real age (or looked like it) and suddenly it clicked, she's a teenager, what 16-17 year old doesn't do that, chose a guy based on his name and sweeping romantic assumptions. I know I did.

[SKayum]

I see your point; but the so called "age appropriate" 2005 Pride and Prejudice featured an inept Darcy (which is funny in that the character and not the actor is supposed to be inept) and a bitter shrewish Lizzy. Austen is tricky - for the young, yes, but with material that often most befit the talents of more mature actors.

[FogBelter]

Well ... If Ms Johansson is looking for a retirement home, I'm sure I could make space for her. It's the least I could do for a Senior ;^)

[wadenelson1]

Get in line.

[hapkidokid]

I'd hit it.

[Dogma]

Scarlett Johansson isn't too anything. She's as perfect as any actress can get.

[woundedduck]

They're both too old for the role. Go find an up-and-coming blastocyst already.

[totalliberal]

She was 13.

[tkondaks]

Blastocyst? Too old.

Get some primordial plasma or cosmic dust...tha­t should satisfy the pedophile demographic.