Emma Stone to return for ‘Cruella 2’

Emma Stone is set to reprise her role as Cruella de Vil for Disney’s upcoming Cruella sequel, after closing a deal with the studio on Friday, August 13, according to a Deadline report.

Disney confirmed that a sequel to the live-action Cruella film was already in development in June, but Stone was not yet confirmed to star then.

The sequel will have original director Craig Gillespie and writer Tony McNamara at the helm again. No plot details or production timeline have been released yet.

Cruella, the 1970s origin story of 101 Dalmations villainess Cruela de Vil, premiered simultaneously in US theaters and on Disney+ on May 28. Disney+ subscribers had to pay an additional $30 to gain Premier Access to the film. There is no news yet on whether the sequel will also debut the same way.

The critically-acclaimed Cruella has earned more than $222 million in global ticket sales to date, with over $85 million from the domestic box office. Stone is the second actress to take on the titular role following Glenn Close, who played the villainess in the 1996 101 Dalmatians adaptation and the 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians.

Stone’s deal with Disney comes shortly after Black Widow star Scarlet Johansson sued the studio on July 29 for a lack of proper compensation, alleging that the company breached her contract when it offered the movie on streaming at the same time it played in theaters. Black Widow also debuted both in theaters and on Disney+ simulataneously on June 29.

Disney claimed that the lawsuit had “no merit,” saying it had complied with her contract. It added in a statement that the release of the movie on its streaming platform had “significantly enhanced her (Johansson’s) ability to earn additional compensation on top of the $20 million she has received to date.”

The studio also added that the lawsuit was “especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” – Rappler.com