The newest teaser trailer for Cruella reveals even more of the 101 Dalmatians villainess' fashionable backstory. Next up on Disney's slate of live-action reimaginings is Cruella, a new look at the origin story of one Cruella de Vil. Fans might know her best from Glenn Close's portrayal in the 1996 101 Dalmatians, where her primary objective was to skin the titular pups for their fur. In this new film, Emma Stone plays Cruella at an earlier stage of her life, back when she was called Estella and aspired to be a fashion designer.
Cruella also stars Emma Thompson, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Mark Strong. It's directed by I, Tonya helmer Craig Gillespie and is currently slated for release in May, with an eye still on a theatrical run. Disney unveiled the first Cruella trailer just last month, which sparked some seriously divisive responses online. Many fans took issue with the movie's apparent attempt to humanize Cruella, despite the fact that her sole desire is to kill dogs. It remains to be seen how the actual film will play out, of course, but Disney has already released another look at Ms. de Vil's new origins.
Disney revealed a "Sneak Peek" at Cruella on Sunday night. The minute-long clip dives into Estella's start at a prominent fashion house in London. Only, instead of designing the clothes as she wishes, she's stuck cleaning. "I was meant for more in this life," she declares. The clip shows her going head to head with Thompson's Baroness as Cruella takes form and makes some very public demonstrations. Check out the trailer down below.
The first Cruella trailer drew a lot of comparisons to DC movies like Joker and Birds of Prey, and while this clip feels lighter than the former, there are still some tonal similarities to be found with the latter. It's clear Disney is interested in marketing Cruella as an anti-hero origin story instead of a simple villain tale. That doesn't mean this movie will humanize the character or even redeem her; it just means it's interested in treating Cruella in the way she sees herself, which is the hero of her own story.
Cruella de Vil is certainly an interesting choice of character to receive her own backstory, and hopefully Disney will let it be as wild and dark as possible. Gillespie expertly handled the story of a very complicated woman with I, Tonya, making him an excellent pick for this. If he can bring the same skill to Cruella, audiences are in for a wild ride. Only time will tell if this stands out from the pack, or falls prey to Disney's usual squeaky-clean style.
Source: Walt Disney Studios
