Emma Stone gives a fiery performance as Cruella de Vil in the new Cruella trailer released by Disney on Wednesday. The 101 Dalmatians prequel follows the origin story of the puppy-snatching, fur coat-loving villain in 1970s London during the punk rock revolution.
The film follows a young woman, Estella, who is determined to make a name for herself in the design world. However, she befriends a pair of thieves, cue Jasper and Horace, and they build a life for themselves down a dark path. Estella later catches the eye of Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), a fashion legend, and their relationship sets in motion a string of events that turns Estella into Cruella. Yes, it’s an Emma showdown.
“I wasn’t for everyone. I guess they were all scared that I’d be … a psycho,” Stone’s De Vil says with a devilish laugh.
Unlike Maleficent, Disney’s first take on a villain's backstory, Cruella isn’t about redemption. Instead, they are leaning fully into her evilness – she does end up hunting puppies, so there’s definitely no justification for that. The film, directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya), is being compared to Joker, and so many people referenced this that the phrase “Disney’s Joker” began trending on Twitter.
Of course, Stone isn’t the first person to play the iconic role of Cruella. She is inheriting a role that Glenn Close famously played in the 1996 live-action 101 Dalmatians. Stone has big shoes to fill in this role, but Close has given the story her approval by signing on as an executive producer for the new movie.
Cruella will premiere on May 28, however, it is unclear if it will be a theatrical release only or if it will be released on Disney+ as well.