Emma Watson, Guillermo Del Toro Team For 'Beauty And The Beast'

Sometimes it takes Hollywood a little while to catch up with the Internet. Per Variety, Guillermo del Toro is set to direct a new version of "Beauty and the Beast," with "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson in "final negotiations" for the lead role.

Titled "Beast," the film -- which Variety describes as an update on the classic fairy tale -- will be written by Andrew Davies, of "Bridget Jones's Diary" fame. (Fingers crossed Watson says something like this: "Will find nice sensible boyfriend and stop forming romantic attachments to any of the following: beasts, monsters, gargoyles, trolls...")

If all this sounds familiar, that's probably because you remember Watson and Del Toro were reportedly attached to this project back in July, right around the time when "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" was breaking box-office records. Coming Soon had the first report then, after producer Denise Di Novi spilled the beans during press rounds for "Crazy Stupid Love."

In addition to "Beast," Watson has taken full advantage of being free from the knit sweaters of Hermione Granger. She's leading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" (out later this year), and may team with "Potter" director David Yates for an adaptation of "Your Voice In My Head," about a suicidal New York woman and the cancer-stricken therapist who saves her life.

[via Variety]