A Movie Emma Watson Turned Down Ended Up With $447 Mil & 6 Oscars
When the chance comes to play an iconic role in one of Disney's most beloved stories, it's sometimes an easy choice for actors - even if it means passing up on a massive payday.
That's exactly what happened with Emma Watson when she turned down the role for La La Land.
Watson, of Harry Potter fame, starred in the 2017 remake of Disney's Beauty and the Beast as Belle. She spoke to Mark Heyes on Lorraine about her time on the film.
She said she'd previously been offered the role of Cinderella in the 2015 remake but turned it down, thinking it was the wrong fit. The role ended up going to Lily James. But when she found out they were casting for Beauty and the Beast, she immediately knew she wanted to play Belle.
'I'd do anything,' Watson said. 'She's so fierce and so smart. I just think she's the coolest.'
Beauty and the Beast ended up being a massive hit - it made almost $1.3 billion at the box office against a $160 million budget. It was the second-highest-grossing movie of 2017, only behind fellow Disney film Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
To prep for the role, she said she went to a 'Belle boot camp,' which included learning to ride a horse three or four times per week. The whole preparation for Beauty and the Beast took three months before another four months of filming, meaning she didn't have a lot of time for other projects.
Unfortunately for Emma, that meant she had to turn down the role of Mia in 2016's critically acclaimed hit La La Land.
'You can't half-arse a project like this,' Watson said of Beauty and the Beast. 'You're in or you're out.'
La La Land made $472 million at the box office - still a massive haul, but incomparable to the billion-dollar Beauty and the Beast. Yet La La Land was clearly more favorable among critics.
It holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, besting Beauty and the Beast's 71%. It also won six Academy Awards at the 2017 Oscars, including Emma Stone's Award for Best Actress as Mia.
Thanks to the massive Disney financing, Watson came home with a nice payday after Beauty and the Beast. She earned a $3 million salary and another $12 million in box office bonuses. Stone, however, earned over $20 million for her Oscar-winning performance in La La Land.
Considering the film's production budget was only $30 million, it's safe to say a lot of that came from box office and award bonuses.
Despite missing out on the chance for awards and a huge paycheck, Watson seems content with her decision to play an iconic Disney princess.
'I was so hectic but I loved it.'
Source: Lorraine.