Paul Walter Hauser gives an update on the development status of Cruella 2. Director Craig Gillespie's crime-comedy caper Cruella chronicled the origin story of the nefarious 101 Dalmatians villain Cruella de Vil. Set in 1970s London, Cruella saw Emma Stone take on the title role, tracking her start as aspiring fashion designer Estella Miller before embracing a life of peril and crime. The movie also starred Emma Thompson as the Baroness, an egoistical haute couture designer and Cruella's nemesis. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruella was released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+. Still, it managed to gross an admirable $233 million against a $100 million budget, while also garnering praise from critics and fans alike.
Soon after Cruella's release, there were rumblings of a sequel that were encouraged by Stone and Thompson's interest in reprising their roles. Aided by the overall positive reception, Disney officially greenlit Cruella 2, with Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara expected to return. Stone officially signed on to star in the film in August 2021. Since then, updates on Cruella 2 have been scant, although now it seems that there is some information about when things will get into motion.
In a new interview with Forbes, Hauser, who starred in Cruella as Horace, delivers an update on the production status and writing for Cruella 2. There appears to be a tentative start date in place, but that partially depends on the script's progress. Read what the actor said below.
I’m told we’re doing it next year. I don’t know when but I think Tony McNamara is writing the script right now. He’s probably tinkering away with that. We got to work around the ever-busy schedule of Craig Gillespie and Emma Stone, who are worth the wait, so anytime they want to do it, I’ll be there.
As Hauser additionally acknowledges, to set a date for commencing production, Cruella 2 will need to consider the schedules of both Stone and Gillespie. Those are unsurprisingly packed considering their sought-after artistry. Stone has just finished work on Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things adaptation, and she is already gearing up to film Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie's Showtime comedy series, The Curse. Gillespie, on the other hand, serves as the director and producer on the ongoing Apple TV+ show Physical, and he is also attached to direct the movie The Antisocial Network. With all these engagements, it seems that it will be some time before both the actress and the director are free to film Cruella 2. Until then, work on the sequel cannot move forward.
Although Gillespie and Stone remain busy, it's still promising news that Cruella 2 could get off the ground soon. Obviously, the two have prior obligations they need to prioritize. However, there is still a chance that they can begin work on Cruella 2 by the middle of 2023. Right now, there are a lot of unanswered questions about Cruella 2, such as what the story will be and if Thompson would return after The Baroness' apparent death. However, considering that the movie is not due to go into production until next year, there is still time for more to be revealed. Currently, it's hard to predict when the new movie will come out, but if everything goes smoothly, fans can perhaps look forward to watching Cruella 2 in theaters sometime in 2024.
Source: Forbes