Emma Watson Update: 'Beauty and the Beast' Star Could Become the World's Highest-Paid Actress
Emma Watson is set to become the highest-paid actress in the world after “Beauty and the Beast” passed the $1 billion mark at the global box office. The former “Harry Potter” star could be on track to outdo actress Jennifer Lawrence as she keeps on raking in portions of the live-action movie’s profits.
According to The Standard, it has been less than a month since “Beauty and the Beast” made its theatrical release. Now, Bill Condon’s remake of the Disney classic starring Emma Watson continues to exhibit an excellent performance at the box office and has now become the first movie of 2017 to reach the $1 billion mark.
Aside from reaching this profitable milestone, “Beauty and the Beast” has also become the highest-grossing live-action musical in history, as reported by Variety. The movie’s persistent success could suggest that lead star Emma Watson continues to pull in sums of money after having agreed on a special contract with Disney.
Although the British actress was offered an upfront fee of $2.5 million, she is set to earn more than $19 million owing to the agreement that ensures she gets a portion of the global earnings pulled in by “Beauty and the Beast.” “I think she has the world in the palm of her hand,” celebrity publicist Liza Anderson said of Emma Watson.
“She is the biggest star in the world right now. She can star in anything. She could produce. She’s America’s sweetheart and a global sweetheart. There’s no better position to be in right now,” Anderson, who is also the founder of Anderson Group Public Relations, further explained about the "Beauty and the Beast" star. Emma Watson, who already made a name for herself in her childhood years, earned almost $63 million after playing the fan-fave Hermione Granger in the widely popular “Harry Potter” movie series comprised of eight movies.
Disney allocated $160 million to create the movie; the “Beauty and the Beast” cast includes Emma Watson as Belle opposite former “Downton Abbey” actor Dan Stevens as the cursed Beast. Other cast members include Luke Evans, Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, and Stanley Tucci, among others.
