Cruella is about to enter its second weekend in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access, and look out: Cruella de Vil isn’t throwing out her fabulous wig or punk fashion persona for long. The Disney origin story is already expected to continue with a sequel, and the same talent behind the Emma Stone-led 101 Dalmatians reimagining are expected to return.
Writer Tony McNamara, who co-wrote the Cruella script following his work on The Favourite and The Great, is reportedly on board to develop a second movie about the villainess. The Hollywood Reporter additionally learned that Cruella’s director, Craig Gillespie, will also helm Cruella 2. This is great news for fans of the recent summer release – and horrible news for the puppies that may stand in her way!
Cruella debuted weeks ago to tons of glowing reviews before opening in theaters and as a Disney+ premium add-on last weekend. The movie has made $48.5 million so far and is already on the grid to become one of the highest-grossing domestic releases of 2021 heading into the summer season. The movie was available to check out at homes for $30 plus a Disney+ subscription service, but we don’t know how much the studio has additionally earned off this hybrid model.
A Disney spokesperson did share some confidence about Cruella’s critical and commercial success. Here’s what they said in a recent statement:
We are very pleased with Cruella’s box office success, in conjunction with its strong Disney+ 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.
Cruella’s key players had shared their interest in expanding the origin story of Emma Stone’s Estella-turned-Cruella prior to this sequel report. Director Craig Gillespie said that he’d love to see “full-blown Cruella, fully loaded” after making the Disney movie. He teased some possible plot points too, sharing how her expansion of the fashion brand could help her rise in power, but “almost destroy her from inside out.” Now that’s intriguing.
The movie’s Horace, Paul Walter Hauser, told Cinemablend that he’d like to return if the same creative team was behind the film. And low and behold, it looks like his wish may come true. Additionally, Cruella’s Anita Darling, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, shared that she would “love to” explore the relationship between Cruella and Anita further, especially following the film’s open-ended conclusion.
Disney previously made a sequel to its other villain origin story Maleficent when the 2014 success was followed up by 2019’s Mistress of Evil. The studio is also expanding its live-action worlds with sequels in development for The Lion King, Aladdin and The Jungle Book. Are you excited for Cruella 2? Vote in our poll below.
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