Just one week after Cruella debuted in theaters and on Disney Plus, it was announced that a sequel was in the works with director Craig Gillespie and writer Tony McNamara both returning. The initial outing for the iconic villain spent a decade in development before finally being brought to life, but the studio will be keen to strike while the iron is hot and get Emma Stone’s title heroine back on our screens sooner rather than later.
The ending of Cruella gave it a bizarre and more than a little unnecessary place in 101 Dalmatians canon by concluding on a mid-credits scene revealing that Ms. de Vil herself was responsible for gifting spotted canines Pongo and Perdita to their respective owners Richard Dearly and Anita Darling, which opens itself up to the idea of the scenery-chewing villain suddenly deciding several years later that she’s changed her mind and wants her dogs back to skin them alive for their fur, which doesn’t sound very Disney.
Of course, there’s every chance Cruella 2 will completely deviate from the source material once again and act as another prequel taking place before 101 Dalmatians, but whatever happens, we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us Jon Favreau’s The Lion King was getting a follow-up long before it was announced – that Emma Thompson’s Baroness von Hellman will be back for the ride.
Cruella ended with the Baroness being arrested for murder, after a wild series of events that began with her using a dog whistle to have her mutts assassinate young Estella’s mother, which was then brought full circle when she turned out to be the main character’s biological mom all along. It’s pure nonsense, but it at least opens the door for Stone and Emma Thompson to reunite, which is good news when they were easily the two standout aspects of the movie.
