Guillermo del Toro To Direct 'Beauty and the Beast'

Guillermo del Toro will direct "Beast," a new take on the 'Beauty and the Beast' after he has wrapped 'Pacific Rim,' Warners has tapped "Bridget Jones's Diary" scribe Andrew Davies to write. WB's "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson is in final negotiations to topline the period pic. Del Toro was originally on board just to produce.

DiNovi Pictures' Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan will produce with del Toro, who plans to write a treatment from which Davies will work.