Of all the unlikely acclimations to come out of the Disney machine, the relative success of Cruella is one of the most fascinating of all.
Sure, it may not have impressed the shareholders with its box office numbers. But that it wound up being so much more than a two-hour-long commercial for 101 Dalmatians is impressive on its own—and perhaps a testament to the idea that Emma Stone and Tony McNamara are to never be underestimated no matter the context.
That sentiment seems to be the consensus at Disney HQ as well. They’ve gone ahead and greenlit a Cruella sequel for development despite those box office struggles. Stone and her co-star Emma Thompson have long expressed interest in doing a sequel in the style of The Godfather Part II, and when two artists of their caliber make a claim like that, you need to let them cook no matter what risk it might pose to the bottom line.
What is Cruella 2 about?
With the Emmas’ tease about what they’d like to style the sequel after, even guessing what might happen in the film feels a bit intimidating. Presumably, it will follow the schemes of Cruella, Jasper, Artie, John, and Horace as they pull the strings of their new criminal enterprise from within the walls of Hell Hall.
Who stars in Cruella 2?
Stone has been on board to bring Cruella back since August 2021, but there’s no official word on who else may be joining her. Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, John McCrea, and Mark Strong would likely return, given that their characters all moved into Hell Hall with Cruella at the end of the first film. Moreover, the enthusiasm that Thompson has expressed for the project in the past means we’d be wise to expect her to return as Baroness von Hellman in some way.
When will Cruella 2 be released?
At the moment, the fact that it’s been greenlit and that Emma Stone is involved are the only pieces of information available on Cruella 2. It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense for Disney to be secretive about the project, but it’s safe to say we won’t be hearing about any release info for quite a bit of time yet.
Nevertheless, we’ll be sure to keep our eyes peeled for any updates that do happen to come scuttling along, hopefully within the year.
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
