Disney is reportedly in talks with I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie to helm Cruellea, a movie focusing on the iconic 101 Dalmatians villain. The project is set to feature La La Land alum Emma Stone in the titular role.
Gillespie is set to replace Alex Timbers (Mozart In The Jungle), who left the project due to scheduling. Timbers — a prolific person on Broadway — is currently working on adapting Beetlejuice for the stage. After that, Deadline reports, Timbers will be head Moulin Rouge alongside Baz Luhrmann, a job that will keep him busy through next July.
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Because of Timbers lengthy schedule, Disney ultimately decided to move on as the company wishes to fast track Cruella into production. The House of Mouse is said to be starting pre-production on the film immediately with hopes to begin filming next year.
Gillespie is currently working on a remake of Thelma, a Norweigan thriller about a supernatural college student, though he’s said to have an opening shortly thereafter. The director most recently helmed I, Tonya — a movie that was rather successful in awards season last year. Allison Janney won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress while Suicide Squad star Margot Robbie was nominated for Best Actress for her portrayal of the titular character. The movie was also nominated for Best Editing.
Disney reportedly hired Jez Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow) to pen a script while Marc Platt and Andrew Gunn will serve as producers.
Cruella de Vil first appeared in Walt Disney Pictures’ 101 Dalmatians (1961). The character has appeared in live-action twice before, being portrayed by Glenn Close in both 101 Dalmatians (1996) and 102 Dalmatians (2000).
Stone recently appeared in Netflix’s mind-bending Maniac. The actress won an Oscar the year before last for her role in La La Land and was nominated for Best Actress after appearing in Birdman in 2015.
Are you looking forward to a live-action movie featuring the villain? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Cruella is expected to start filming next year for a 2020 release.
