Harry Potter fans were quick to point out a reference to the wizarding world in the latest clip from the upcoming live-action film, Beauty and the Beast. The adaptation of one of Disney's most popular films stars Emma Watson as Belle, who is best known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter franchise. In the clip, Belle can be seen walking through the 'poor provincial town' when she meets Monsieur Jean, and asks him if he has forgotten something. He replies: "I believe I have. The problem is, I can't remember what!" As many fans of the popular series have pointed out, this is almost word-for-word a quote from Neville Longbottom in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
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One eagle-eyed viewer tweeted: "WAIT HOLD UP. Did they make a… Harry Potter reference because I'm dying." Another added: "When there's a nod to Harry Potter in a Beauty & the Beast remake and your inner child just CAN'T." Emma recently opened up about playing one of Disney's most beloved princesses, and explained how they had updated the character for a modern audience. "In the original you don't get much sense of Belle, who she is before she meets Beast, so I wanted to create a backstory," she told Entertainment Weekly. "We made her this mad wacky inventor." She then revealed that Belle makes a washing machine which the villagers destroy, explaining: "They don’t think women should read and it goes further than that. Breaking the washing machine is symbolic of them really trying to break her spirit and trying to push her and mold her into a more 'acceptable' version of herself."
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