Get ready to head back to the village, because Belle might have a new “quiet village” story to tell!
Ever since Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast waltzed into theaters and smashed box office records to the tune of $. billion, fans on X and TikTok have been practically begging for more. Now, the woman behind the yellow gown, Emma Watson, is weighing in with an idea that is sending the internet into a tailspin.
In a recent chat with Access Hollywood, the Harry Potter alum admitted she hasn’t been keeping track of the viral hashtags, but she’s more than ready to step back into those iconic flats.
“I would love to do a sequel,” Watson gushed, much to the delight of Disney fans everywhere.
But what would a second chapter even look like? Watson didn’t just stop at saying “yes”—she pitched a premise that feels like the perfect evolution for the book-loving heroine.
“I always thought that Belle had become a teacher and she would run the library in the castle, and open it up to the village,” Watson shared. “This is where I was going.”
The idea of Belle transforming the Beast’s massive, once-hidden library into a community hub has sparked major praise online. Fans are calling the pitch “perfectly in character” for the girl who always had her nose stuck in a book.
Of course, a sequel would need a Prince, and Dan Stevens is already raising his hand! The actor, who brought the Beast to life with that heart-wrenching performance of “Evermore,” says he is “open to offers.”
While his character finally shook off the fur and horns at the end of the first film, Stevens joked that he’d “kind of like to bring the Beast back” in some capacity.
While Disney production head Sean Bailey has previously suggested that a prequel or spinoff is more likely than a direct sequel, the sheer star power and fan demand might just change the studio’s tune.
With original composer Alan Menken still creating magic and the cast clearly onboard, the “Why not?” factor is becoming hard to ignore.
For now, we’ll just have to keep dreaming of Belle’s library school. After all, if anyone can make a sequel happen through sheer willpower and a great pitch, it’s Emma Watson!
Would you like me to look into the latest updates on Disney’s upcoming live-action slate or check if there are any official ‘Beauty and the Beast’ spinoffs in development?
