Can Emma Watson Actually Sing?

On Monday, the former Hermione Granger dropped some big news on us. Emma Watson's slated to star as Belle in Disney's live-action version of Beauty and the Beast! Um, dream casting much? Watson has obviously come a long way since her days of playing Hermione, and I'm so excited to see her tackle another legendary role. There's no doubt in my mind that Watson will be the most perfect Belle, but there's one small obstacle standing in her way: can Emma Watson sing, because Belle does an awful lot of it, usually while reading a book and walking at the same time.

That's obviously a lot to take on, even for the most seasoned actress — and especially when she's playing a character who's been so beloved by so many people since childhood. I can't seem to remember a time in recent history that Watson showed off her vocal chops to prove they exist, but the evidence has to be out there, right?

Fortunately, it totally is — the proof is just a little hard to dig up. Although Watson has never done Broadway (which would totally have prepared her for this role), she has sung onscreen before. Plus, there's the fact that she's always been interested in doing theater. And when she announced the big news Monday morning, she made sure to mention that singing lessons are at the top of her agenda.

And although vocal training will get her in perfect shape to become Belle, she already has a foundation to work from. If all else fails, Watson should just remember this: at least she doesn't sing as much as the furniture does.

Noah

In the 2014 movie, Watson sings Patti Smith's Golden Globes nominated song "Mercy Is" while on the ark, in the presence of Russell Crowe — a situation which is basically way more intimidating than singing in front of any other audience. Although this is a rough example of Watson's singing, since she's crying so much, you can definitely tell that under all that emotion there's talent there.

"Pantomime"

Last year, singer Ben Hammersley released this song, "Pantomime," for which Watson provides the backing vocals — and she sounds pretty good!

Again, there isn't a ton to draw from here, but from what I can hear, she definitely can't not sing. She may not have any professional experience just yet, but I have faith she'll figure it out.