Emma Stone's desire to appear in Cruella sequels may be the reason she isn't suing Disney over the film's release. In August, it was confirmed that Stone had officially signed on to reprise her role as Cruella de Vil in Cruella 2, a follow-up to the origin story flick about the iconic Disney villain that was released earlier in the spring. The Cruella 2 deal was struck less than a month after Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney for an alleged breach of contract in the release of Black Widow.
In response to weak cinema attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney and several other studios committed to a hybrid release strategy for the foreseeable future. Under this new approach, Disney began releasing new films in theaters as well as on the Disney+ streaming platform at a Premier Access rate of $29.99, and major new releases like Mulan, Raya and the Last Dragon, Jungle Cruise, Cruella and Black Widow were all available for viewers to watch at home. However, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson claimed that the simultaneous release of the film in theaters and on Disney+ was a breach of contract by the company and denied her potential earnings, since her salary was tied heavily to box office profits. Johansson says that a hybrid release of Black Widow was not agreed to in her contract, and the lawsuit has since become a heated and ongoing legal battle. In July, it was reported that Stone may also have been considering her own lawsuit against Disney over the release of Cruella.
According to the exclusive newsletter What I'm Hearing... from Matthew Belloni, Stone's plans to star in future Cruella films like Cruella 2, or other Disney projects, may have stopped her from taking any potential lawsuit against Disney forward. The former entertainment lawyer and editor for THR argues that Stone could have sued or released a statement criticizing Disney, but is clearly set on appearing in future Cruella projects. This would prove impossible if a legal battle between the actress and Disney were to occur, while Johansson, on the other hand, is "done with Marvel movies" and does not need to maintain the relationship.
What's more, Belloni said that Stone would have a much weaker legal case than Johansson if she did choose to sue. This is because Johansson has a “smoking gun email" from one of Marvel's lawyers promising that she would be told if the Black Widow release plan deviated from a theatrical exclusive. Belloni also claims that Johansson's lawsuit is nothing more than "another negotiation tool" that will "never, ever go to trial, or even arbitration."
It isn't yet confirmed whether Cruella 2 will be a theatrical exclusive or hybrid release, but the new deal is said to benefit both Stone and Disney. In the wake of both Johansson's lawsuit and the success of the first Cruella film, it's likely that Stone has been able to negotiate a better position for herself ahead of Cruella 2 beginning production. Regardless of the outcome, Johansson taking a stand against Disney has reset the parameters around stars' bargaining powers in a new era of simultaneous streaming releases, which doesn't look to be disappearing any time soon.