Original Belle gives thumbs-up to Emma Watson in 'Beauty and the Beast' 

Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about

Original Belle gives thumbs-up to Emma Watson in \'Beauty and the Beast\'

The \'Harry Potter\' star \'would\'ve been my first choice,\' Paige O\'Hara says.

A link has been sent to your friend\'s email address.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs

Original Belle gives thumbs-up to Emma Watson in 'Beauty and the Beast'

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY 8:56 a.m. EDT September 20, 2016

In honor of the 25th anniversary of 'Beauty and the Beast,' Disney is rereleasing the classic film. Robby Benson (Beast), Paige O'Hara (Belle) and Richard White (Gaston) shared some of their favorite lines with USA TODAY. USA TODAY

It\'s a tale as old as time and one of the most beloved animated movies ever made.

, which celebrates its 25th anniversary with a new Blu-ray release out today, we of course approached the news with cautious optimism. Will the CGI enchanted objects be just as cute, or slightly creepy? And can Emma Watson hold a candlestick to her predecessor Paige O\'Hara, who brought soaring vocals and spunk to bookish heroine Belle?

O\'Hara certainly thinks so. The Broadway vet stopped by USA TODAY with her original 

co-stars Robby Benson ("Beast") and Richard White ("Gaston"), where she gave her stamp of approval to the

"I think that if I were producing that movie, Emma Watson would\'ve been my first choice for Belle," O\'Hara says, adding, "I was just really happy they went with Emma. She\'s got the intelligence, she\'s got the humor. I think she\'s going to be really, really special." 

None of the three voice actors have met their live-action counterparts, although White agrees that it\'s "going to be wonderful. ... The trailers are gorgeous, it\'s so beautiful."

O\'Hara says that in many ways, "it feels like we\'re passing on the torch. But there\'s always going to be room in history for both of these versions."

hits theaters March 17, 2017. In the meantime, check out more from USA TODAY\'s Facebook Live chat with the original stars to hear their favorite lines, how many times they\'ve seen it and which song was nearly cut.

'Dancing with the Stars': Ryan Lochte drops fake medal, Jake T. Austin goes home

The 'American Horror Story 6' premiere and theme, explained

Jonah Hill is not amused in this cringeworthy interview on French TV

Lady Gaga loses pants, rocks glasses to support Brandon Maxwell's NYFW show

Jennifer Aniston brings heat to 'Storks' premiere

'The Case Of: JonBenét Ramsey' pins her death on her brother Burke