AceShowbiz -

Emma Watson has signed on to play the lead role in James Ponsoldt's "The Circle". According to TheWrap, Watson will star opposite Tom Hanks in the movie which is based on Dave Eggers' novel of the same name.

Watson will play a recent college graduate who's hired for a big job in an Internet monopoly called the Circle. The digital company links users' personal emails, social media, banking, and purchasing with their universal operating system, resulting in one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency. The film will also deliver messages about the modern world and the internet age.

Ponsoldt revealed that it was Watson's intelligence which made her be very competent for the role. "Emma Watson is one of my favorite actors, and her incredible talent, sensitivity, and deep intelligence will bring an electric energy to 'The Circle'," Ponsoldt said. It might be her star-making turn in "Harry Potter" franchise which also helped her get the role. Watson will start filming "The Circle" after she completes the production on Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast (2017)", in which she stars alongside Dan Stevens and Luke Evans.

Previously, Alicia Vikander had been attached to star in the adaptation movie but she dropped out after deciding to take part in "Bourne 5". As for Hanks, his role has not been announced yet, but sources say that he will play a mysterious older man. Additionally, Hanks will produce the movie alongside Ponsoldt, Gary Goetzman and Anthony Bregman. Directed by Ponsoldt, the movie will be released in the U.S. sometime in 2016.