Oscar winner Emma Stone is all set to be back for more dramatic fashions and dastardly deeds as she closed a deal to return for Cruella 2, as reported by Deadline. Disney the first film at a cost of $29.99 on Disney+ Premium access under the same hybrid model as Black Widow. Cruella and Black Widow were the first of Disney’s major releases to debut on the same day in theatres and on Disney+ when the studio adopted the hybrid plan after the pandemic caused calendar shifts for the 2021-2022 slate.
The news comes at a time when a suit against Disney has been filed by actress Scarlett Johansson for breach of over the company’s decision to release Black Widow simultaneously on OTT platform and in theatres. Signing Stone up for a Cruella sequel could be viewed as a defensive countermove, or it could just be smart business.
Cruella, which is based on the 101 Dalmatians villain, reportedly took in $21 million on Disney+ that first weekend before going on to gross more than $220 million worldwide. Stone starred in and executive produced the film — the third live-action adaptation of the property. In the previous two movies, the villainous role was donned by the veteran actor Glenn Close. Emma Thompson, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Mark Strong play the supporting roles.
“While the media landscape has been disrupted in a meaningful way for all distributors, their creative partners cannot be left on the sidelines to carry a disproportionate amount of the downside without the potential for upside,” said Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell about the agency’s new deal.
“This agreement demonstrates that there can be an equitable path forward that protects artists and aligns studios’ interests with talent,” Whitesell continued. “We are proud to work alongside Emma and Disney, and appreciate the studio’s willingness to recognize her contributions as a creative partner. We are hopeful that this will open the door for more members of the creative community to participate in the success of new platforms.”
Cruella director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara are both returning for the sequel, and fans are expecting to see Paul Walter Hauser and Joel Fry star alongside Stone. Well, Disney should also bring back costume designer Jenny Beavan, whose work earned heaps of praises.
Cruella, due to the pandemic, was released in theaters and on Disney+ PVOD tier on 26 May. It is not certain whether Cruella 2 will be a pure theatrical release or release simultaneously in homes like its predecessor.
