It was way back in 2016 when news broke Emma Stone would be playing the fur-loving Cruella de Vil in Cruella, Disney’s live-action origin story for the villain. Disney has now, finally, released its first look at Stone as the iconic character, showing her as a much edgier, steam-punk version than we might remember.
The new movie will serve as a precursor to the 101 Dalmatians story and is supposed to follow de Vil’s early days in 1970s London. The original children’s book, written in 1956 by English novelist and playwright Dodie Smith, depicts de Vil as a mean heiress and former classmate of the dogs’ kind human owner, Mrs Dearly. De Vil is supposed to have been a “menacing” student who got kicked out of school for drinking ink.
On Feb. 18, Disney released the first trailer for the upcoming film.
“From the very beginning, I realised I saw the world differently than everyone else,” Stone’s de Vil says in the teaser clip. “That didn’t sit well with some people. But I wasn’t for everyone.” Putting Cruella’s legendary fashion front and centre, the teaser shows Stone making a grand entrance at a masked ball—much to the displeasure of some Dalmatians in attendance), setting her white cape ablaze to reveal a blood-red dress underneath.
“The thing is, I was born different, I was born bad, and a little bit mad,” the villain says.
Watch the official trailer below.
In August 2019, Walt Disney Studios social media account tweeted a picture of Stone on set, showing off de Vil’s signature black-and-white hair, while providing an updated and modern twist on her fur jacket. “Here’s your first look at Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil in Disney’s Cruella,” Disney wrote, adding, “The film, also starring Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, and Joel Fry, comes to theatres May 28, 2021.”
Stone will be taking over the reins from Glenn Close, who appeared as the iconic character in the 1996 adaptation of 101 Dalmations.
Speaking of her live-action Cruella predecessor, Stone told Entertainment Tonight, “I think she’s obviously the GOAT,” adding, “but I also have just loved the cartoon for a really long time.”
“This comes before [Close’s] story,” Stone added. “This leads to her to where she becomes true greatness.”
