Following the release of the Cruella poster yesterday, Disney has debuted the official trailer for the upcoming live-action movie starring Academy Award-winner Emma Stone as the iconic 101 Dalmatians villain. But while the Cruella de Vil we first met in the 1961 animated film and later in the 1996 live-action adaptation (starring Glenn Close) was already a crazed yet fashionable Dalmatian-obsessed maniac, we never really learned how she became that way.
Disney's Cruella seeks to give us a look at her rebellious early days. And if the trailer is any indication, we're in for a wild ride.
As mentioned, Emma Stone is playing the iconic character, who actually goes by the name Estella in the film. She seems less infatuated with dalmatians and more obsessed with building her life as a fashionista in London. The synopsis mentions Estella meeting a pair of "young thieves" which are probably Jasper and Horace as well as an all-new character named Baroness von Hellman, played by two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson. It seems the actions brought out by this fashion legend will cause Estella to "embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella."
While we only get a glimpse of her performance in the trailer, Emma Stone gives off some serious Harley Quinn vibes in this Cruella origin story. Part of that is probably the setting and overall aesthetic of the film as Cruella takes place in 1970s London. It's got a punk rock revolution vibe to it and Stone's "I was born brilliant. Born bad. And a little bit mad" just hits so perfectly.
Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”) stars in Disney’s “Cruella,” an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. “Cruella,” which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense & Sensibility”). But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.
Cruella is slated to hit theaters on May 28, 2021, but that could easily change because of the pandemic, which has wreaked havoc on the film industry. Depending on what happens with the virus, Cruella could release in theaters or premiere on Disney's streaming service, Disney+.