Disney is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the "Beauty and the Beast" animated film this year. By March 2017, the live action treatment featuring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, as well as an ensemble of talented actors, will finally be running in theaters.
Paige O' Hara, who was the voice actor for the animated "Beauty and the Beast" released in 1991, is thrilled about the live action coming. She admits, via Popsugar, that she's eager to watch Emma Watson bring the character to life on the big screen.
"I think she's perfect casting!" said O'Hara, when asked about her opinion of Watson as Belle on "Beauty and the Beast." Vanity Fair reports that O'Hara has nothing but praises for the young actress. "She's got the intelligence, the humor, the spirit, the soul, and [she's] beautiful. I mean, she's going to be fantastic," O'Hara said.
The voice actress also admits how much she loves the idea of adapting the animation into a live action film. "It's like we're passing the baton onto this cast for a whole new generation of kids," she added.
Paige O'Hara said that what she's looking forward to watching the most on "Beauty and the Beast" is how the live action version will play out the big ballroom scene from the animated film. She's also anticipating Beast's transformation in the final scene. Earlier, Parent Herald reported on photos from the set of "Beauty and the Beast." It showed Dan Stevens, who plays the Beast, as the prince or the "human version of the Beast."
Meanwhile, the voice of Mrs. Potts in the animated version of "Beauty and the Beast" surprised an audience in New York during the celebration the movie's milestone. Angela Lansbury went on stage to perform the theme song to "Beauty and the Beast," as she did in the 1991 movie, per People. The audience cheered and gave Lansbury a standing ovation after her performance, where she was accompanied by music composer Alan Menken. Watch Angela Lansbury sing in the video below.
