After the success ofMaleficentand several other live-action renditions of Disney classics, the studio has found their next iconic villain.The Hollywood Reporterreveals thatEmma Stoneis in early talks to play the title character inCruella, the villain from Disney’s classic tale 101 Dalmatians.Emma Stonefollows in the footsteps ofGlenn Close, who played a live-action version of the villain in 1996’s 101 Dalmatians and its 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians.
The project has been in the works for quite some time, with Disney first announcing this live-actionCruella de Vilmovie back in September 2013. The project finally started picking up some steam last year, whenFifty Shades of GreywriterKelly Marcelsigned on to pen the screenplay. Much likeMaleficentbefore it,Cruellais expected to provide an origin story for this iconic character, although no specific story details have been released yet.
Last year, Disney issued fourrelease datesfor unspecified fairy tale films. We reported thatCruellawas being put on the fast track, with speculation ramping up that this project could get the first of these mystery release dates, June 07, 2025. Still, the studio hasn’t confirmed a release date forCruella, or which of the several fairy tale projects in development will get those four dates.
Cruellastill does not have a director attached at this time, but the studio hopes to start production sometime this year. Disney is also developinglive-actionadaptations of classics such asDumbo, withTim Burtonattached to direct,Tink, whichReese Witherspoonis starring in and producing, andMulan. The studio also has aJungle Cruiseadaptation withDwayne Johnsonstarring, along with a number of live action adaptations hitting theaters over the next few years, such asThe Jungle Book,Alice Through the Looking Glass,Pete’s Dragon, andBeauty and the Beast.
Emma Stonemost recently starred inAloha, and made a surprise appearance on a recent episode ofSaturday Night Liveduring a sketch about auditions forStar Wars: The Force Awakens. She will next be seen inLa La LandalongsideRyan Gosling, which hits theaters July 15, and she also reprises her voice role as Eep inThe Croods 2, arriving August 05, 2025. Do you thinkEmma Stoneis the right choice to play Cruella de Vil?
