'Beauty And The Beast' has without a doubt been one of the best loved Disney films since its release as an animated movie in 1991. Now that it's jumped on the bandwagon of live action reboots, it has re-emerged as a culturally relevant with a culturally relevant star in the shape of Emma Watson.

Emma WatsonEmma Watson stars alongside Dan Stevens in 'Beauty and the Beast'

Director Bill Condon spoke about just why it was so important that the actress took on the role of Belle as we draw closer to the film's release date.

'[She] really was the first modern Disney heroine, Disney Princess, who doesn't want to be a princess', he explains. 'Who doesn't really care about finding her prince, someone who's more interested in books and seeing the world and figuring out who she is than in finding a guy and getting married.'

Watch the trailer for 'Beauty and the Beast' here:


 

Kinda sounds familiar when you start to compare Belle with Emma Watson; an actress who made a career out of playing a bookish young lady in the 'Harry Potter' series, because she has always been a bookworm herself. It's no secret that she was a straight-A student who landed a bachelor's degree in English literature at Brown University.

But that's not all. The fact that Belle is so dismissive of the patriarchy has Emma Watson written all over it. 'I do think, of all the actresses of her generation, she is the one who's most closely defined with women's issues', Bill muses. 'Her activism at the UN and in general, it's really become her life's mission.'

Indeed, Emma's work for women's rights through the UN Women campaign HeForShe has been a big part of her status as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. She has gone all over the world to share her ideas about equality, and continues to spread the word by leaving books on such subjects scattered across subways.

More: Dan Stevens talks about 'Beauty and the Beast'

'I remember writing her a note and pointing out the choices that actors make in their careers become part of their own autobiography', Bill continued. 'This seemed to have such a great fit in her life that I was hoping she was interested. It turned out she was interested for years.'

'Beauty And The Beast' will be released on March 17th 2017.