When Cruella debuted in May, reports surfaced that Disney was in early developments on a sequel. Now it would seem that their star has returned. According to Deadline, Emma Stone has closed her deal to return in another Cruella installment, which will also bring back director Craig Gillespie and writer Tony McNamara.
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This may come as a surprise for some, after rumors surfaced that Stone would be following in Scarlett Johansson’s footsteps amid Cruella moving from an exclusive theatrical release to a dual release with Disney+’s Premier Access.
Patrick Whitesell, the Execitive Chairman for entertainment agency Endeavor, commented on the new Disney/Stone deal:
“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. This agreement demonstrates that there can be an equitable path forward that protects artists and aligns studios’ interests with talent. 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.”
2021’s Cruella grossed over $222 million theatrically worldwide, and approximately $21 million on Premiere Access. The upcoming Cruella 2 will be the sixth film in the 101 Dalmatians franchise, following the original animated film and its sequel, the two Glenn Close films, and Cruella.
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, Emma Stone and Emma Thompson discussed possible ideas for a sequel, which would feature a story akin to The Godfather: Part II and bring back Close an older version of the character. However, this was just speculation and we have yet to hear any official ideas for Cruella 2.
Source: Deadline
