Those in the movie industry know that making a film is often a long and arduous process. La La Land was certainly no exception. Though the film ended up being a critical success, there were actually periods of time when the movie wasn’t going to see the light of day. It took six long years before the movie starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling got made. However, there was a time where Emma Watson was slated to take on the lead role of Mia.
As Stone won the Oscar for her performance in La La Land, it’s likely hard for most fans to picture someone else in the role. However, Watson was initially selected for the part. So why did the Harry Potter alum eventually pass on Mia? Ultimately, it came down to scheduling conflicts. Watson was named as the lead of the film before the particulars were worked out and, when it came time to film, another movie was her priority.
Emma Watson turned down ‘La La Land’ because of ‘Beauty and the Beast’
“It’s one of these frustrating things where names get attached to projects very early on as a way to kind of build anticipation or excitement for something that’s coming before anything is really actually agreed or set in stone,” Watson shared in a conversation SiriusXM’s Town Hall. Continuing on, the Little Women star shared that because filming La La Land conflicted with preparation and training for her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, she had to pass on the part of Mia.
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“[It] wasn’t a movie I could just sort of step into,” Watson shared about Beauty and the Beast. “I knew I had horse training, I knew I had dancing, I knew I had three months of singing ahead of me and I knew I had to be in London to really do that. This wasn’t a movie I could just kind of parachute into. I knew I had to do the work, and I had to be where I had to be. So, you know, scheduling conflict-wise, it just didn’t work out.”
Ryan Gosling chose ‘La La Land’ over being cast in ‘Beauty and the Beast’
In a rather strange coincidence, Gosling, who played the co-lead role of Sebastian in La La Land, actually turned down the role of the Beast in Beauty and The Beast so that he could portray the jazz pianist. Clearly, both Watson and Gosling chose to prioritize the movies that they felt most connected to. And neither one of the actors seem to have any regrets about their decision.
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Watson has no regrets about ‘La La Land’
“I’m so thrilled that musicals are so celebrated at the moment!“ Watson shared in the aforementioned interview. “They seem to be back in the zeitgeist and people are kind of celebrating and loving music and singing and dancing again. I thought [La La Land] was wonderful. It’s lovely.”
