Emma Stone has given a cautious update about the progress of the planned Cruella 2. 2021’s Cruella served as an origin story for the titular villain from 101 Dalmatians and her transformation into the famous fashion designer with a fondness for fur. Following on in the same vein as 2014’s Maleficent, the ambitious Disney movie sought to reinvent the classic villain and presented her as more sympathetic than her previous depictions in both animation and live-action. A sequel was officially announced to be in development shortly after the first movie’s release, but further details have since been scarce.
Speaking with Variety, Stone was asked when Cruella 2 filming is likely to begin shooting and gave a careful, yet optimistic update.
Suggesting that the script for the planned sequel is still “a work in progress,” the star said that she hopes the production will begin “sooner rather than later.” Despite being unable to give a more precise timeline, Stone also intimated that she is keen to revisit the role. Check out her comments below:
You tell me. Hopefully, hopefully sooner rather than later. There’s a work in progress kind of thing going on [with the script]. We’ll see.
She’s a blast, she’s the best. We’ll see, it’s a work in progress.
Does Cruella Really Need A Sequel?
As the first major red-carpet release since the beginning of COVID-19, Cruella’s box office takings were only a fraction of what Disney was used to seeing from their major pre-pandemic releases. Hampered by audiences either hesitant or unable to return to theaters, and further impacted by the decision to allow a simultaneous streaming release via Disney+’s Premier Access feature, the original movie’s less-than-hoped-for returns still did not stop Disney from considering the movie a success and announcing a sequel shortly after its 2021 release.
Yet despite Cruella’s mid-credits scene hinting at a sequel potentially heading directly into the story of 101 Dalmations, the question remains whether the kind of character reinvention featured in the first movie would work against the backdrop of already well-known events. What made Cruella so effective in its reframing of the titular character is that it was able to provide audiences with a fresh glimpse of Cruella de Vil’s mysterious backstory and explore an era when she was not yet the complete villain she was later destined to become.
By potentially depicting some of the same events featured in the other 101 Dalmatians movies, Cruella 2 runs the risk of undoing the intriguing and more complex character work that made Stone’s first outing so compelling. If it is to succeed, and also help make up for the lackluster box office returns of the first movie, Disney must continue to take the time they need to get the story right first.
Cruella
Cruella is the live-action reimagining of the 101 Dalmatians villain and her origin story. It stars Emma Stone as Estella, an aspiring fashion designer and talented grifter. After finding herself pitted against her boss, the Baroness (Emma Thompson), she creates the alter-ego Cruella, a dangerous criminal who will do whatever it takes to get ahead in both the fashion world and in life.
- Release Date
- May 28, 2021
- Director
- Craig Gillespie
- Cast
- Joel Fry , Emma Stone , Jamie Demetriou , Emma Thompson , Paul Walter Hauser , Kirby Howell-Baptiste , Emily Beecham , Mark Strong
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 2h 14m
- Genres
- Comedy , Crime , Action
- Writers
- Dana Fox , Tony McNamara
- Budget
- 100–200 million
- Studio(s)
- Disney
- Distributor(s)
- Disney
