Emma Watson joins Alejandro Amenabar thriller ‘Regression’

Since completing her duties on the blockbuster “Harry Potter� franchise, Emma Watson has striven to distance herself from her magical alter ego of Hermione Granger, playing a free-spirited high-school student in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,� a fame-obsessed teen who burglarizes celebrity homes in “The Bling Ring� and a foul-mouthed version of herself in “This Is the End.�

Now the actress has joined the cast of writer-director Alejandro Amenabar’s upcoming thriller “Regression,� which could tilt back — a little — toward the elevated-genre territory of the “Potter� films.

As the “Potter� franchise progressed, it enlisted upscale directors who demonstrated a commercial touch, including Alfonso Cuaron and David Yates. In an alternate universe, Amenabar might have found himself in their company.

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The Chilean-Spanish director is best known stateside for his 2001 supernatural thriller “The Others,� which starred Nicole Kidman and grossed more than $200 million worldwide. Since then, however, his output has been limited to the biographical drama “The Sea Inside� in 2004, which won the Academy Award for best foreign-language film, and the historical drama “Agora� in 2009.

For now the Weinstein Co. is keeping the details of “Regression’s� storyline under wraps, but it will be interesting to see how Amenabar deploys Watson’s talents and in which direction the role takes her.

In a statement, Watson said, “I am passionate about Alejandro and his work and am so happy to be collaborating with him. I’m really excited by the challenge my character presents to me as an actress.�

TWC-Dimension will release “Regression� next year.

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