Following Maleficent and the upcoming Cinderella and The Jungle Book, Disney will be releasing a live-action version of Beauty and the Beast. Directed by Bill Condon (DreamGirls), the film will join Disney’s trend of transforming their hit animated films into live-action ones.

Emma Watson will be joining the cast as Belle, the Walt Disney Studios announced today, adding that production for the film is anticipated to begin later this year. The actress also posted about her casting today via her Facebook page, and may have revealed a few other things about the film as well. Hit the jump for more.

Here’s the official post from Emma Watson:

Not only did the Harry Potter franchise actress announce her role, but she mentioned that she would “get to dance to ‘Be Our Guest’ and sing ‘Something There’.” So Watson seems to indicate that the film will have musical elements. Given Bill Condon’s background — he penned the script for the big-screen adaptation of the musical Chicago — it makes sense for it to be like its animated counterpart. Disney’s press release called it a “live-action interpretation,” but if it includes the aforementioned songs, is it a beat-for beat adaptation of the animated original or will it be a reinvention?

With a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos, no release date has been scheduled yet for the new Beauty and the Beast.

Disney’s animated version was released back in 1991, and grossed $424 million. It was also the first animated film to earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.