Lily James for 'Cinderella': Meet the Girl Who Stole the Role from Emma Watson [PHOTOS]

Fans of British actress, Emma Watson were hyped to hear about her starring in the Disney remake of "Beauty & the Beast." What excited fans more was when news broke out in April that Watson would also star in another Disney remake, "Cinderella." However, with the countless projects Emma had, the role of "Cinderella" was instead given to another UK star by the name of Lily James. Who is this actress that managed to snag the role from Watson?

The upcoming Disney live-action adaptation of "Cinderella" has a lot to be excited about. First off, the film is set to be directed by Kenneth Branagh popular for his works, "My Week with Marilyn" and "Thor." Another reason is that Cate Blanchett would be playing the evil stepmother in the film. Watson was first rumoured to be cast as Cinderella which would make as an awesome film experience with Blanchett and her teaming up.

Yet, before the month of April had ended a sad announcement was made. Watson would no longer play the role of Cinderella given her countless projects. So who did Kenneth Branagh cast as his Disney princess? Fans say hello to UK actress, Lily James.

Some may recognize James from the television series, "Downtown Abbey." In the series, Lily plays the innocent but manipulative child, Lady Rose. Apart from Lily's stint in "Downtown Abbey", Lily's other projects include BBC's "Just William" series and "Diary of a Call Girl." The UK star had also extensive work in theatre plays of which include "Othello and Iago" and "The Seagull."

The 23-year old actress has already been tipped as the "next big British star" for her great work onscreen. While some Watson fans are still not happy with the news, it's a chance for Lily James to make her mark in Hollywood and hopefully earn the nod of Emma's fans as well.

As for the film remake of the Disney classic, no other details have been released but rumour has it that "Cinderella" will be dramatic, romantic and emotionally-engaging. Check out the slideshow to see more of Lily James set to be the star of Kenneth Branagh's live-action remake of "Cinderella."