Disney already have Cruella sequel 'in the works'

Disney are reportedly already working on a sequel for their live-action film Cruella after the success of the movie which was released on 28th May! The flick, starring Emma Stone as the titular villain, has already grossed over $87.1 million worldwide in its first week.

Now, bosses have apparently begun discussing a sequel already, with publications reporting that director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara will be returning to the fold.

Although it's uncertain if Emma Stone will reprise her role, she has expressed a desire to return to the character in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes - with Emma Thompson agreeing she'd love to be involved again.

A Disney spokesperson told Variety: "We are very pleased with ‘Cruella’s’ box office success, in conjunction with its strong Disney Plus Premier Access performance to date.

"The film has been incredibly well received by audiences around the world, with a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to A’s in every demographic from CinemaScore on opening weekend, ranking it among the most popular of our live-action reimaginings. We look forward to a long run as audiences continue to enjoy this fantastic film."

So it's looking pretty good!

When will Cruella be released on DVD?

Instead of waiting the traditional few months after cinematic release, Disney will be releasing Cruella on DVD and Blu-ray on 17th August as well as a digital release on 25th June. Of course, the film is already available to stream on Disney+ with a premium fee.

Cruella soundtrack: Florence + The Machine - 'Call Me Cruella'

The film had a brand new original song by Florence + The Machine on the soundtrack. The group teased the song, entitled 'Call Me Cruella', on their social media pages, after it was originally rumoured to be happening a week prior.

Lead singer Florence Welch wrote: '‘I tried to be sweet, I tried to be kind, but I feel much better now that I’m out of my mind’ 🥀 Thank you to @disneycruella and @nicholasbritell for giving me the chance to fulfil my childhood dream of writing for an iconic Disney character.♥️ ‘Call me Cruella’ and the whole soundtrack out 21st of May x.'

When was the Cruella live-action film released?

Cruella had a cinematic release AND an online release through Disney+ on 28th May 2021, with Disney boss Kareem Daniel speaking out about the decision.

"It reflects our focus on providing consumer choice and serving the evolving preferences of audiences," he explained. "By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic marketplace that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company's unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world."

Although the film was just a rumour for a couple of years, Disney confirmed it was happening in August 2019 with a photograph of actress Emma Stone in character as Cruella, along with a caption confirming the film's release date.

It read: 'Here’s your first look at Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil in Disney's Cruella. The film, also starring Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, and Joel Fry, comes to theaters May 28, 2021.'

Who is in the cast of Disney's live-action Cruella film?

Alongside Emma Stone in the cast list is Emma Thompson as a Baroness, Mark Strong as Boris, Game of Thrones' Joel Fry as a young Jasper and I, Tonya's Paul Walter Hauser as his young Horace counterpart.

Killing Eve star Kirby Howell-Baptiste also stars as Anita from the original film we all know and love. Kirby is also known for her role as Simone on The Good Place and starred in the first series of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Killing Eve as Eve Polastri's assistant, Elena Felton.

Emily Beecham plays Catherine, and Stath Lets Flats star Jamie Demetriou plays Gerald.

Disney released some brand new character posters to promote the film at the start of May 2021 with a couple of lines of context around their backstories...

Disney's live-action Cruella: Watch the trailer

The full-length trailer was released in February, starring Emma Stone as the titular villain, and another sneak peek of the film in March, stirring up excitement for the movie. The long-awaited flick also co-stars the likes of Mark Strong and Emma Thompson, and is a prequel to 101 Dalmatians.

Taking to their Disneyland Paris Facebook page, Disney wrote: 'This May, meet the Queen of Mean. Watch the brand new sneak peek of Disney's #Cruella now!' (sic). Within the minute long preview, we get to see a young, red-headed Cruella rise from scrubbing floors as a maid to a bad-girl fashionista.

The Mouse House announced the official trailer on Tuesday 17th February - which was our first proper look at what the film will entail...

What will the Cruella live-action film be about?

Disney fans have been desperate to see how Emma will carry off the character of Cruella, who was iconically played by Glenn Close in the 1996 live-action remake of One Hundred and One Dalmatians - and it's safe to say, Emma's iteration will be a hit.

We see her descent into the Cruella we know and love-to-hate - and although we've met the character before, this will be the first film that focuses on her as the main character.

Of course, even though it feels like a recent move on their part, the trend actually started way way back in 1996, after Disney redid One Hundred and One Dalmatians as a live-action film starring Glenn Close as the villainous Cruella De Vil, Jeff Daniels as Roger and Joely Richardson as Anita, with Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams as Jasper and Horace.

That film also spawned a sequel, 102 Dalmatians, released in 2000 - but that hasn't stopped Disney delving back into the story for yet another live-action film based on the story.

This remake will focus on the original story's villain - Cruella De Vil. Starring Emma Stone in the titular character, the plot will be an origin story to explain how she became to be the monster we know in the original film.

Although details about the film have been kept strictly under wraps so far, actor Mark Strong - who appears in the movie as Boris - spoke out in November 2020 and revealed what we can expect from the new flick.

He told Collider: "I had a great time. Craig Gillespie, who directed it, I was a big fan of. I loved I, Tonya and I loved Lars and the Real Girl, the films he made before I got to know him. Just liking the stuff he'd made meant that we wanted to work together, and he asked me to play this part in Cruella.

"It was fantastic being on set. It's such a massive production. There are huge fashion and ballroom sequences in it, which are just so impressive. I got to be on set during those days and spend most of my time with the two Emmas - Emma Stone and Emma Thompson.

"It was just great being able to shoot the breeze with those guys during the downtime, and then play with them, telling this fantastical story that I think people are thoroughly going to enjoy, when the cameras were rolling.

"What the film does, which is brilliant, is try to throw a light on where the Cruella that we think we know has come from. It's a development story, as you see Cruella grow into the Cruella de Vil that we know and love to hate."

Filming locations for the Cruella live-action film

This photo of Emma Stone filming for the Cruella film was taken in London, and it's thought that most of the film was filmed in the city. IMDb reports that the Old Naval College in Greenwich was also used as a location. Filming is thought to have finished in November 2019.

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