Paul Walter Hauser Cast in Disney's Live-Action Cruella Movie

The barrage of live-action Disney adaptations will continue into the next couple of years, but the [...]

paul walter hauser
(Photo: Neon)

The barrage of live-action Disney adaptations will continue into the next couple of years, but the House of Mouse isn't just remaking its classic properties shot-for-shot. Yes there will always be movies like The Lion King that get unnecessarily copied, but there are also a few reimaginings and origin projects in the works. One such movie is Cruella, the story of iconic 101 Dalmations villain Cruella de Vil and how she became the antagonist we all remember, with Emma Stone in the titular role. The film is about to enter production in order to meet its 2020 release date, which means its cast is starting to fall into place.

According to a new report from Variety on Monday afternoon, BlacKkKlansman and I, Tonya actor Paul Walter Hauser has joined Stone and Emma Thompson in Cruella.

The initial report stated that Hauser's role had not yet been specified, but others with knowledge of the production are saying otherwise. The DisInsider's Skyler Shuler took to Twitter after the news broke to say that Hauser will be playing Horace, a character who becomes one of Cruella's henchmen from the original film.

Stone takes on the role of Cruella at a time when the character wasn't all too evil, much like Angelina Jolie's take on Maleficent. Emma Thompson will likely play the film's antagonist, though Disney had its eye on several major names for that role. Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Julianne Moore, and Demi Moore were all reportedly being eyed for the part.

I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie is signed on to helm Cruella, replacing Alex Timbers, who departed the film for scheduling reasons. Cruella's script is being rewritten by The Favourite's Tony McNamara.

Cruella is one of many live-action projects in the works for Disney at this time. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is arriving in theaters this October, followed by Mulan in March of next year. There is also a live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid on the way.

Are you looking forward to Cruella? Let us know in the comments!

Cruella is set to hit theaters on December 23, 2020.

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