10 First Choices For Big Movie Roles (That Would Have Totally Sucked)
9. Emma Watson As Mia (La La Land)
Emma Stone won an Oscar for her portrayal of Mia in Damien Chazelle's stunning musical romance La La Land, nailing the character of an idealistic ingenue struggling to make her way in the City of Stars. It was nearly former Harry Potter actor Emma Watson, however, who appeared in Chazelle's story, with the ex-Hermione cast alongside Miles Teller during the early stages of the film's development.
Watson stepped away from the project in favour of doing Beauty and the Beast for Disney. Given the fact that film is the highest-grossing live action musical of all time and earned Watson something in the region of $15m, she's probably not all that upset about it. Interestingly, Ryan Gosling turned down the Beast role in order to appear in La La Land, facilitating a talent swap that probably turned out best for all involved.
It's not that Watson wouldn't have done a solid job with La La Land, but it's hard to believe she and Teller could have matched the red hot chemistry Stone and Gosling have after several movies together. Anyone who saw Beauty and the Beast will also know that Watson's pipes can't match up to Stone. It's tough to see her shepherding 'Audition' to a Best Original Song nomination.