Emma Watson looks on course to become Hollywood’s highest-earning female star of 2017.

The former Harry Potter actress portrays Belle in Disney’s new live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Read the NME review of the film here.

Watson was previously the highest-earning actress of the year in 2010. Jennifer Lawrence has been the biggest-earner since 2015 but now Watson could retake top spot this year after reportedly earning $2 million (£1.6m) for Beauty and the Beast. She also will receive a percentage of the movie’s global takings.

Beauty and the Beast picked up around $170 million (approx £140 million) in US box office sales over its upcoming weekend. It has since earned over $350 million (£280.2m) worldwide. The remake follows other Disney live action re-boots like The Jungle Book, which made close to $1 billion (around £807 million) last year.

Watson recently made headlines after appearing in a partially-topless photo shoot for Vanity Fair, leading to criticism and accusations of hypocrisy from Beyonce fans.

Responding to the backlash, Watson said: “Feminism is about giving women choice. Feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with, it’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality. I really don’t know what my tits have to do with it, it’s quite confusing. I’m always just quietly stunned.

“The shot itself I was honestly slightly taken aback by, because we’d been doing so many crazy things on that shoot,” Watson continued. “But it felt incredibly artistic and I’ve been so creatively involved and engaged with [Vanity Fair photographer Tim Walker], and I’m so thrilled with how interesting and beautiful the photographs were. It always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is of what feminism is.”

She is also reportedly taking legal action after personal photos were leaked online.

Read More: Emma Watson’s wisest words

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