Oscar Winner Emma Stone Cracked Deal With Disney To Star In 'Cruella' Sequel

Los Angeles, August 14, 2021: Amid the criticism of its theatrical - Disney+ Premier model, Disney has been able to crack a deal with Oscar winner, Emma Stone to return to star in the sequel to crime comedy film "Cruella", based on the character Cruella de Vil from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, Disney opted for a two-way release on theaters and on Disney+ PVOD tier for some of its releases including "Cruella", which debuted on May 26 this year. The movie earned more than $222 million in worldwide ticket sales, making it a fruitful outing for Disney. Stone joins returning director Craig Gillespie and returning writer Tony McNamara in the sequel



Earlier, Black Widow star Scarlett Johansson filed a lawsuit against Disney over its hybrid release model, alleging that it has breached her contract which reportadly promised an exclusive theatrical release of her films. After Johansson's lawsuit, there were speculations that Emma Stone might also take the same route over Cruella's release, however, that hasn't happened yet.

Dwayne Johnson, however, supported Disney for its release model during the pandemic for his action-adventure film, Jungle Cruise, which debuted on July 30. The film has so far grossed $73.1M domestic, $201M+ worldwide, and $50M in estimated Disney+ Premier global PVOD monies, good for a current estimated global haul of $251M+.

Meanwhile, Cruella 2 is still in the pre-production stage, and it's not certain yet whether the movie will be an outright theatrical release or like its predecessor released simultaneously in homes. Disney, however, recently confirmed that it will release its upcoming movies, including Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, exclusively in theaters for a 45-days window.

Stay tuned...