“Cruella” is nothing like we expected.
Disney+ has taken the “101 Dalmatians” franchise and given it a new spin with strong comic book movie vibes. The 2021 film is about the origin story of Cruella de Ville, the antagonist in the 1996 kids movie (and Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians).
This … is not a kids movie.
American actress Emma Stone will star as Cruella, and the trailer shows her as an anti-hero, with a number of similarities to the DCU comic characters, The Joker and Harley Quinn. Cruella seems unhinged, dark, insidious and dangerous. And then there’s her appearance, with heavy makeup and the half-black, half-white hair. It all feels very much like “The Joker,” the newest version featuring Joaquin Phoenix.
“Cruella” seems to be catered to the young adults who watched the original movie as kids in the mid-90s. And perhaps, it’s an attempt for Disney+ to have a Joker character of their own, even if Warner Brothers owns screen rights to the DCU comics.
The response on social media was strong. People were seeing the connection.
DISNEY'S JOKER IS TRENDING BC OF THE CRUELLA TRAILER PLSSSSSSSSSSS pic.twitter.com/ijptkTIFai
— Krissy (@Krissy_Blues) February 17, 2021
cinematic parallels pic.twitter.com/zQ7gr2vcZG
— keeg (@McKeegs_) February 17, 2021
Calling it now: Cruella > Joker
— Kyle Stevens (@cinementalist) February 17, 2021
why does everyone want to be the joker. his life sucks.
— karen han (@karenyhan) February 17, 2021
Cruella really giving off Joker vibes
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) February 17, 2021
Cruella looks like the Disney version of Joker and I love it. https://t.co/aTaLR0CKpx
— lance armand 💛 | WANDAVISION 💛 (@sirlancelotttt) February 17, 2021
WHY IS THIS GIVING ME A DC TAKE ON CRUELLA? SHES GIVING ME JOKER AND HARLEY QUINN VIBES 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/VS2Jt8myd5
— 💛 TAYLORDE’S VERSION💛 (@jpcleds13) February 17, 2021
A movie about Cruella seemed like a stretch, at first. But this fresh take seems to have drawn a tremendous amount of interest.
