del Toro to Direct a New Beauty and the Beast Project…

He’s helped bring a demonic beast to life on the big screen… And, now Guillermo del Toro is preparing to take on a beast and a beauty.

The 47-year-old Mexican filmmaker, who helmed Hellboy and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, will reportedly direct Harry Potter star Emma Watson in Beauty.

Guillermo del Toro

An adaptation of the novel Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of the Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley, the film is being hailed as a new take on the Beauty and the Beast tale.

The deal with del Toro, who is currently shooting Pacific Rim in Toronto, has been in the works since last spring.

In addition to Beauty, the Pan’s Labyrinth director is helming Trollhunters and developing a Haunted Mansion movie, as well as reportedly attached to direct both a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and a Frankenstein project.