Disney is finally getting some positive news regarding contracts and deals after its recent legal troubles with Scarlett Johansson, as Deadline reports that Emma Stone has penned a new deal with the studio to return for Cruella 2.
The first Cruella film saw praise from critics, was received well by Disney fans, and earned more than $220 million in worldwide ticket sales. It’s not clear at this point whether the sequel will see a theatrical release or a some kind of hybrid model that includes room for Disney+, with Patrick Whitesell, the executive chairman of Endeavor, making reference to “new platforms” in his comments about the new deal:
“While the media landscape has been disrupted in a meaningful way for all distributors, their creative partners cannot be left on the sidelines to carry a disproportionate amount of the downside without the potential for upside. This agreement demonstrates that there can be an equitable path forward that protects artists and aligns studios’ interests with talent. We are proud to work alongside Emma and Disney and appreciate the studio’s willingness to recognize her contributions as a creative partner. We are hopeful that this will open the door for more members of the creative community to participate in the success of new platforms.”
At the time of reporting, there’s no date set for Cruella 2, but it will likely go into production sometime during 2022.
Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”) stars in Disney’s “Cruella,” an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. “Cruella,” which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense & Sensibility”). But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.
Cruella is directed by I, Tonya helmer Craig Gillespie, and stars Emma Stone (La La Land), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility), Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya), Joel Fry (Game of Thrones), Emily Beecham (Into the Badlands), Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Killing Eve), and Mark Strong (Shazam!).
