Emma Watson, Tom Hanks team up for new tech thriller 'The Circle'

Credit: STX Entertainment/EPK.tv

Credit: STX Entertainment/EPK.tv

While many fans are waiting for this week's release of Emma Watson's live-action take on Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," it is her next movie that may have fans reconsidering their online personas.

"The Circle" examines what happens when everyone lives their lives on social media.

Baised on Dave Eggers' 2013 novel, Watson portrays Mae Holland, who gets her dream job at a tech company called The Circle.

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The company, founded by Eamon Bailey, played by Tom Hanks, monitors every moment of everybody's life and makes all those moments available to anyone online.

The movie's director, James Ponsoldt, told USA Today that, "Bailey's notion is knowing is good, and knowing everything is better."

"He believes all experiences should be available to everyone, not only the privileged or people who can afford to them. He's deeply interested in technology that can make people share all human experiences with everyone," Ponsoldt added.

Holland (Watson) adopts the no-holds-barred access by sharing everything with strangers via new camera technology that fits anywhere and broadcasts in real-time wirelessly.

She becomes famous, so much so the freedom of broadcasting her entire life becomes her prison.

And while movie-goers will see striking similarities to current tech companies, Ponsoldt told USA Today that it isn't based on any one company.

"'The Circle' is probably like many tech companies, pushing ethical boundaries over how much autonomy and freedom we should have and how much privacy we should have, Ponsoldt said.

"The Circle" also stars John Boyega, Patton Oswalt and Bill Paxton in his last movie. It hits theaters on April 28.

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