WB taps Davies, del Toro for 'Beast'

Del ToroWatsonDavies Guillermo del Toro will direct "Animal," a brand new undertake the "Beauty and also the Animal" tale that Warners has drawn on "Bridget Jones's Diary" scribe Andrew Davies to create.WB's "Harry Potter" star Emma Watson is within final discussions to topline the time pic. Del Toro was initially aboard simply to produce. DiNovi Pictures' Denise Di Novi and Alison Greenspan will produce with del Toro, who intends to write cure that Davies works. Del Toro, who's presently filming "Off-shore Rim" for WB and Legendary Pictures, is credited like a co-author on of WB's approaching "Hobbit" movies. He lately professional created Universal's "Mama" and DreamWorks Animation's "Rise from the Parents."Getting wrapped her lengthy-running role as Hermione Granger within the "Harry Potter" photos, Watson will next reteam with "Deathly Hallows" director David Yates. She co-stars in "My Week With Marilyn" and can soon be observed in Summit's "The Perks to be a Wallflower."Davies, who authored "Bridget Jones's Diary" and it is 2004 follow up, most lately composed "The 3 Musketeers" and "Brideshead Revisited."WME reps both del Toro and Watson, who're also correspondingly repped by Exile Entertainment and U.K.-based Markham, Froggatt and Irwin. Davies is repped by CAA. Contact Shaun Sneider at shaun.sneider@variety.com