When Is Disney Finally Going to Release ‘Cruella 2’?

It has been almost three years since Disney officially greenlit Cruella 2, and many are becoming impatient to know when the Cruella sequel will finally arrive.

Cruella marked the third live-action adaptation in the 101 Dalmatians franchise but was the first to introduce a new story. The film serves as a prequel to 101 Dalmatians, following the origin story of the franchise’s iconic villain. However, Cruella wasn’t always “Cruella.” The movie reveals she was once a clever aspiring fashion designer named Estelle (Emma Stone) before she slowly began to transform into her more sinister alter-ego Cruella. Given that it was more unique than the typical Disney live-action remake, boasted a comic book-esque villain origin story, and featured a phenomenal performance from Academy-Award winner Stone, Cruella garnered a largely positive reception.

Hence, although the movie struggled to break even at the box office, Disney announced that Cruella 2 was in the works just months after the original’s premiere. By August 2021, Stone signed a deal to reprise her role as the titular character in the sequel. However, three years have passed since then, and the sequel still has not been released.

When is Cruella 2 coming out?

Unfortunately, Cruella 2 does not yet have a release date. However, the movie does still appear to be happening. The most recent update on the sequel came from Stone in January 2024. During an interview with Variety, she described the film as a “work in progress.” Although she didn’t know when production would begin, she hoped it would be “sooner rather than later.” She concluded that portraying Cruella was a “blast,” and she was mainly just waiting to see when the film would come along.

Stone is currently quite busy promoting The Curse, preparing for the release of her and Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest project, Kinds of Kindness, and filming for Eddington. As a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actress, she is one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. So, it’s fortunate she has still expressed interest in making Cruella 2. Hopefully, the film will be the next project on her roster.

Unfortunately, the lack of updates makes it difficult to predict when the film will start coming together. So far, Stone is the only one who has officially signed on to return, although it’s anticipated Paul Walter Hauser and Kirby Howell-Baptiste will also reprise their roles. Additionally, there has been no word on whether the script is complete or what the story will focus on. Although there’s no release date yet, viewers should stay tuned for more substantial updates on the sequel.

(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)