Every movie director Emma Watson is desperate to work with: “I have ambitious plans”
Just like many of the stars of the Harry Potter series, Emma Watson struggled to break out of the mould the wizarding world set her in. This is often the curse of the child actor, as audiences so often view them as much more entangled with their young characters than those who break into the world as fully formed human beings. And, considering the controversy surrounding the creator of the magical series, it’s probably proven even more difficult for those rising out of its ashes.
But this wasn’t always the case for Watson. Straight off the back of her role as Hermione Granger, she was cast in films with names as big as Sofia Coppola and Darren Aronofsky. With the former, it was The Bling Ring, which stirred up controversy for her as she went from the A-star darling of Hogwarts to a fame-obsessed teenager who robs celebrity homes. With Aronofsky, she played the orphaned Ila, taken aboard the Ark in Noah. And, of course, there was The Perks of Being a Wallflower, where she played a high schooler named Sam in a dysfunctional group of dysfunctional kids.
These three rather prominent roles came in quick succession, all being released within two years of the release of The Deathly Hallows—Part 2. Clearly, Watson was keen to break away from her childhood cast and into something more serious. Around that time, she was interviewed by Elle Russia, where she discussed her recent films, the difficulties of being a child star and her new beauty campaigns. And, when asked what directors she would like to work with, her goals were clearly lofty, stating, “Paul Thomas Anderson, Danny Boyle, David Fincher, Baz Luhrmann. I have ambitious plans”.
In the more than ten years that have followed, she’s unfortunately yet to work with these hard-hitting, beloved directors, with her biggest role since being Meg in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women. But to be fair, the woman was also busy with several fashion and beauty campaigns, not to mention her activism, which has always been as important to her career as acting.
It’s no surprise that acting has taken a back seat for someone in her position. Being so heavily in the spotlight as a child is already hard work, but when people have a countdown on you turning 18, write whole articles about you cutting your hair off (big news right?) and criticise every move you make, it doesn’t necessarily make life fun. After rumours of retirement in 2021, Watson revealed that she was taking a break from the movie world because she just wasn’t happy.
And, she’s stuck to it, with nothing seemingly in the works. But she has opened a successful gin business with her brother, which sounds pretty nice after years of being hounded by the press. Although that still doesn’t show signs of slowing down, as she’s just made headlines again for doing 38mph in a 30 zone. So, while it would be interesting to see Watson make her return with the likes of Luhrmann or Anderson, I wouldn’t be surprised if she continues to choose the quiet life.
