The second trailer for Disney's upcoming Cruella is here, and it dives even farther into the twisted villainess' world than ever before. Disney is once more continuing on with its trend of revisiting their beloved past films, but their latest is more in line with Maleficent than, say, Aladdin. With Cruella, Emma Stone plays a budding Cruella de Vil, back when she was a mere aspiring fashion designer named Estella. Stone takes over the mantle from Glenn Close, who previously played the villain in 101 Dalmatians and its 2000 follow-up (and serves as an executive producer here).
Cruella is slated for release in May, and it will be one of the films getting a Premier Access release on Disney+ in addition to debuting in theaters. It also stars Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Joel Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Paul Walter Hauser. As Cruella's release draws steadily closer, Disney has begun ramping up its promotion. Early looks at the film have drawn many comparisons to DC films like Birds of Prey and Joker, though Stone has said Cruella is very different.
Wednesday morning, Walt Disney Studios unveiled the second full trailer for Cruella. This clip reveals more about Thompson's nefarious Baroness von Hellman, the head of the prestigious fashion house where Estella cuts her teeth. Right from the start, the Baroness shows her cold-hearted nature, and it's no surprise when Estella turns on her later on with a fiery demonstration at a dinner party. This promises to be a blistering rivalry. Check it out down below.
Elsewhere in the Cruella trailer, it's revealed the Baroness is the proud owner of a pack of Dalmatians. Naturally, Estella kidnaps them. It's a definite reference to her roles in the 101 Dalmatians movies, but it also suggests this is where she gets her obsession from. It would make sense for an origin story about Cruella de Vil to dive into why she sets her sights on Dalmatians in particular, and it could be that they belonged to her reviled former boss. Cruella will hopefully explore this in depth to give the character some newer shades to her villainy.
The emphasis on the movie's main villain, the Baroness, might increase a criticism that arose following the first Cruella trailer. Fans worried the movie would humanize Cruella, something many found questionable considering her prey are often innocent dogs. Cruella would do well to show that both the Baroness and Estella are in the wrong; just because Estella has an awful nemesis doesn't mean she's a hero. Her arrival at the Baroness' party draws to mind Maleficent's dramatic entrance at Princess Aurora's christening in Sleeping Beauty, which could perhaps indicate Estella is going full villain here. That's what many hope to see, and next month, it will be clear if that is where Cruella is going.
Source: Walt Disney Studios
