Beauty and the Beast movie: Emma Thompson to play Mrs Potts alongside Emma Watson

Bill Condon's live action remake has been given a March 2017 release date

Emma Thompson will play Mrs Potts in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast (Getty Images)

Emma Thompson has joined the cast of the Beauty and the Beast live-action remake.

The British actress will play motherly teapot Mrs Potts in Bill Condon’s adaptation of Disney’s 1991 animated classic, starring alongside Emma Watson in the lead as Belle and Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens as the Beast.

Luke Evans will play arrogant hunter and love rival Gaston, while Josh Gad and Kevin Kline will take on the roles of Gaston’s bumbling servant LeFou and Belle’s inventor father Maurice respectively.

Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken will be re-recording songs from the original film along with fresh material from himself and Sir Tim Rice.

Stephen Chbosky, who worked with Watson on The Perks of Being A Wallflower, is writing the script and shooting is scheduled to begin at Shepperton Studios in London this May.

Watson confirmed her role on Twitter in January, writing that Beauty and the Beast was “such a big part of [her] growing up”.

“My six-year-old self is on the ceiling – heart bursting,” she said. “Time to start some singing lessons. I can’t wait for you to see it.”

Emma Watson will play Belle in Beauty and the Beast (Getty Images/Disney)

There is no word on a UK release date as of yet but the US one has now been set for 17 March 2017.

The Disney live-action remake of Cinderella is currently topping the US box office, starring Lily James and Richard Madden.

It was revealed last week that Tim Burton will also be directing a modern version of Dumbo, while a reboot of The Jungle Book is also in the pipeline.