Emma Stone has been confirmed to return as the iconic Disney villain in Cruella 2.
Gatekeepers News reports that Stone has reportedly sealed a deal to repeat her role in a Cruella sequel alongside the original director Craig Gillespie and writer Tony McNamara also returning.
Details of anyone else from the original movie appearing and the release date hasn’t been announced.
Cruella 1 which debut on May 28 both in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access, was seen as a big hit for Disney.
It has earned $85 million at the domestic box office with a worldwide haul of $221 million.
Meanwhile, the news of Stone signing on for a Cruella sequel has also come as a surprise for many, given the recent controversy over Disney releasing new movies on Disney+.
Gatekeepers News earlier reported that Scarlett Johansson sued Disney over the release of Black Widow and there were rumours that Stone was considering a similar lawsuit.
Cruella stars Emma Stone as Estella Miller along with Emma Thompson as Baroness von Hellman, who was a designer who serves as Estella’s key rival.
The two Emmas surprised the critics with their performances and were widely applauded for their acting.
The duo also joked that they would be up for a sequel in the vein of The Godfather II which is expected to take place in two separate periods with Thompson writing the screenplay.
When the idea was pitched to Thompson in a Rotten Tomatoes interview, she said, “I’m writing the letter now. Actually, does anyone got any paper? ‘Dear Mr. Disney…’ Oh, is he still around? I don’t even know.”
“Please, can we do exactly what was just suggested in this interview? I’m sending it. Oh my God… That’s a really good – ok!”
In June, Disney spokesperson while announcing that a sequel was in early development, said, “We are very pleased with Cruella’s box office success, in conjunction with its strong Disney+ Premier Access performance to date.
“The film has been incredibly well received by audiences around the world, with a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to A’s in every demographic from CinemaScore on opening weekend, ranking it among the most popular of our live-action reimaginings. We look forward to a long run as audiences continue to enjoy this fantastic film.”
As at then, it was reported that Craig Gillespie and Tony McNamara were expected to return, but Stone’s attachment to the sequel wasn’t confirmed.
Finding another person to take the role for the sequel would have been very difficult, owing to her acclaimed performance in the first movie, so this is good news for fans of the original.
