It is impossible to imagine La La Land without Emma Stone, but it could have been a very different film if the original casting went to plan. The film's director Damien Chazelle had initially intended for Emma Watson to take on the role of Mia opposite Ryan Gosling - until Beauty And The Beast got in the way.
In a new interview with SiriusXM's Town Hall, Watson revealed that a ‘scheduling conflict’ was to blame for her not taking the role in the hit film.
‘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,’ the actress explained.
‘Beauty And The Beast wasn't a movie I could just sort of step into. 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,’ the 26-year-old continued.
‘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.’
Subsequently, Watson focused on Beauty And The Beast, and the lead role in La La Land went to Emma Stone.
Watson, who is currently on the Beauty and the Beast press tour, had only praise for the Oscar winning musical.
‘I'm so thrilled that musicals are so celebrated at the moment! 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,’ the star gushed.
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