Emma Watson may get fit for a glass slipper after all. Four years after Watson was loosely attached to star in a musical version of the classic fairy tale "Cinderella" for Marilyn Manson (file under: things that were real), Variety reports that Watson is in "very early talks" to play the role in a new film from Kenneth Branagh. Cate Blanchett would play Watson's evil stepmother.
Fairy tale adaptations were all the rage after Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" exploded at the box office in 2010 (the film earned over $1 billion worldwide), but the recent adaptations have been hit and miss. Released last summer, "Snow White and the Huntsman" was a big success (nearly $400 million in global ticket sales), but other films like "Mirror Mirror" (based on Snow White) and "Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters" have failed to connect. "Jack the Giant Slayer," a new take on "Jack and the Beanstalk," is out Friday via Warner Bros., but the film is not tracking to earn much more than $30 million on opening weekend, a pittance compared to its massive budget.
Watson has kept very busy since playing Hermione in the "Harry Potter" franchise. She was praised last year for her role in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and stars next in "The Bling Ring" from director Sofia Coppola. Watson also filmed a role for Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" (due in 2014) and is attached to play the co-title character in "Beauty and the Beast" for director Guillermo del Toro. That film would shoot this year.
For more on Watson's "Cinderella" role, head over to Variety.
[via Variety]