Emma Watson makes an enthralling Belle in first glimpse of Beauty And The Beast live-action film... as she refuses to wear 'restrictive' corset

• e-mail

The first image of Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast's reboot was released on the cover of Entertainment Weekly on Wednesday. 

And Disney fans were given even more of a treat on Friday, when three further snaps of the film were released. 

Dressed in a beautiful flowing yellow ballgown, the 26-year-old British actress looked every inch a beautiful Belle in the stunning new snap- and stood her ground as she refused to wear a 'restrictive' corset. 

Scroll down for video 

Tres Belle! Three further snaps of Emma Watson in the upcoming Beauty and The Beast remake were released by Disney on Friday

Spinning around in a grand ballroom with marble floors, pillars and magnificent chandeliers, Emma can be seen wearing her brunette hair in a loose half ponytail, replicating Belle's style perfectly. 

Another shot sees Emma dressed in an old-fashioned blue and white pinafore, her hair in a large braid. 

Standing alongside The Beast- played by Dan Stevens, the duo appear deep in conversation as they stand in an imposing library. 

Much-anticipated: The movie is due for release in March, more than 15 years after the original

Convincing: Dressed in a beautiful flowing yellow ballgown, the 26-year-old British actress looks every inch a beautiful Belle in the stunning new snap

And the remaining two snaps see Belle cleaning a grand house, and speaking to her father played by Kevin Kline.   

The first image released on Wednesday shows Emma in Belle's iconic yellow-gold tiered dress, as she waltzes around a ballroom with the Beast, clad in his embroidered blue coat.

The actress is seen gazing intently into the Beast's eyes as they dance across a room decorated with gilded mirrors and candelabras.

Unlikely couple: Standing alongside The Beast- played by Dan Stevens, the duo appear deep in conversation as they stand in an imposing library

In action: And the remaining two snaps see Belle cleaning a grand house, and speaking to her father played by Kevin Kline

Meanwhile Emma's commendable feminist views are reflected in her role as Belle. 

Speaking about the original, she told Entertainment Weekly: 'In the animated movie, it's her father who is the inventor, and we actually co-opted that for Belle.

'I was like, 'Well, there was never very much information or detail at the beginning of the story as to why Belle didn't fit in, other than she liked books. Also, what is she doing with her time?' 

So, we created a backstory for her, which was that she had invented a kind of washing machine, so that, instead of doing laundry, she could sit and use that time to read instead. So, yeah, we made Belle an inventor.'

Modern take: Belle is an inventor and doesn't wear a corset in this version of the classic 

And her costume designer Jacqueline Durran revealed the actress refused to wear a corset under her dress.

'In Emma's reinterpretation, Belle is an active princess. She did not want a dress that was corseted or that would impede her in any way,' she said. 

Emma also told the magazine that she has always been a huge fan of the original movie, which came out in 1991, when she was just a year old. 

'I can't even think how many times I watched it as a child,' the Harry Potter alum said.

'I knew all the words by heart. I knew all the songs by heart.' 

The first official image comes a month after pictures of Emma in character were leaked online.

Until now, Disney has only offered a small glimpse of what's to come.

An official teaser trailer released earlier this year showed the Beast's castle and Ewan McGregor's Lumiere saying: 'What if she is the one?' 

Recreating her famous dress: Emma is shown wearing a version of Belle's yellow-gold tiered gown in the new image

Just a glimpse: Until now, Disney has only offered a small glimpse of what's to come, including a teaser which shows just Emma's eyes as she reaches for the Enchanted Rose

Emma could be heard saying 'hello?' as the door creaked open, before she was seen reaching for The Enchanted rose.

But there's no doubt that she and Dan are the perfect pair to play Beauty and her Beast.

Another sneak peek which came out in September showed the duo reciting their lines during a table read. 

Sneak peek: A featurette released in September showed Dan Stevens (Beast) and Emma reciting a few lines during the table read

'I can't even think how many times I watched it as a child': The 26-year-old has said she knew 'all the words' to the classic film and 'all the songs by heart' while growing up

Other stars appearing in the movie include Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Plumette, while Luke Evans is playing Gaston.

Beauty And The Beast is scheduled for release on March 17, 2017 and is the latest of Disney's live-action offerings.

It comes following the huge success of Maleficent, Cinderella and The Jungle Book. 

Star-studded: In the new movie, Ewan McGregor will play Lumiere, Emma Thompson will play Mrs. Potts and Ian McKellen will play Cogsworth

Coming soon: Beauty And The Beast is scheduled for release on March 17, 2017 and is the latest of Disney's live-action offerings