Beauty and the Beast Director Bill Condon Recalls the First Time He Saw Emma Watson as Belle: ''It Was Unbelievable''

Film's creator couldn't help but gush over the moment

By Kendall Fisher Mar 14, 2017 6:32 PMTags
Watch: "Beauty and the Beast" Director on First Time Seeing Emma as Belle

We were totally awestruck upon seeing Emma Watson as Belle in the first photos for Beauty and the Beast, but can you imagine watching her transform into the Disney princess in real life?

Well, E! News caught up with the film's director Bill Condon, who couldn't help but gush as he recalled the moment he laid eyes on her in costume.

"The first time I saw her on the set, it was incredible," he told us. "She was in that blue dress—I'd seen her in tests and things like that—but she opened the door of that village and came out and sang 'Little Town' and it was just unbelievable…The idea that something you've known so well is now a reality."

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Beauty and the Beast Movie Stills
Disney

The film premiered last Friday at the El Capitan theater in Hollywood where the audience was able to watch one of their favorite animated films come to life with Watson and her co-stars Luke Evans, JoshGad, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald and Dan Stevens

Of course, now that the film has been released, we can't help but ask: Where does Condon believe Belle and the Beast are today?

"Well, I think [Belle] has probably been elected mayor of the town, right?" Condon assumed. "And [the Beast] helps her out as much as he can, but maybe he's home taking care of the kids or something like that? I think it's a really happy household."

As for Condon's own future, Lindsay Lohan already asked to play Ariel if he ever decides to make a live-action version of the Little Mermaid...but not so fast!

"I love her!" he gushed before admitting," But I have to say, I feel like I got lucky. I got the jewel in the crown so it's hard to imagine doing another [Disney film]."