Cast Member Emma Watson Arrives for the UK Premiere of 'Noah' at Leicester Square in London
Cast member Emma Watson arrives for the UK Premiere of "Noah" at Leicester Square in London, March 31, 2014 REUTERS

Emma Watson will be up for another busy year taking the lead role in the fantasy franchise “The Queen of the Tearling” to be produced by the “Harry Potter” makers, Warner Bros and producer David Heyman.

Following the hit Biblical movie, “Noah” where she starred as Ila, Noah’s (Russell Crowe) daughter-in-law, the 24-year-old star reportedly signed up to do the “The Queen of the Tearling” trilogy, the movie adaptations of the books of the same title by Erika Johansen.

According to the New York Post, the book is partly inspired by a speech delivered by President Barack Obama while he was still senator way back in 2007. Johansen was said to receive a hefty seven-figure deal in advance for the rights to a movie franchise.

“The Queen of the Tearling” is starting to create buzz and being compared to George R.R. Martin's "Game of Thrones." The upcoming movie is also touted to be the next “Hunger Games” and to follow the worldwide success of other blockbuster fantasies like the “Divergent,” “Avatar” and the “Percy Jackson” series, among others. Whether the ending of the book will be split into two movies—which is likely a trend—is unknown until the “Tearling’s” first franchise will hit the big screen.

Emma Watson has been speculated to play Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn since early 2013. While the actress has been doubtful of doing another franchise again, and has been “desperate to hate it,” the story of the “The Queen of the Tearling,” as well as the character of the protagonist, seemed to have won her heart.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep for about a week because I couldn’t put the bloody thing down. It would be fair to say I became obsessed with the role and the book. Now I am executive-producing it,” said Watson in the Wonderland magazine interview, as reported by the New York Post.

Interestingly, despite its past century-sounding title, “The Queen of the Tearling” is no story of the medieval age. Like the “Hunger Games” and the “Divergent” series, “Tearling” happens in a dystopian future, leaping 300 years from now. However, in the world created by Johansen, there is no way people can use technology. Instead, they are back into the era where kingdoms and royalties hold society and where the lot of slavery is done via a lottery raffle as an offer to the evil Red Queen.

Princess Kelsea to be played by Watson is described as plain, insecure and a little fat. If the character is to be strictly followed, the pretty and petite Emma may need to gain a few pounds to play her character.

Meanwhile, there are no surfacing reports on when “The Queen of the Tearling” will start production as of this writing.

Related post:
The Best of Emma Watson on the 'Noah' Red Carpet [SLIDESHOW]