Disney’sCruella,which stars Emma Stone as the villainous Cruella de Vil,has garnered numerous comparisons to Joaquin Phoenix’sJoker.Now, a fan has made a video that shows howCruellacould be the origin story of Joker’s mother, Penny Fleck.
The upcoming Disney film isthe live-action prequel to101 Dalmatians. Set in 1970s London,Cruellaoffers a re-imaged origin story of the iconic Dalmatian hoarding thief and follows Estella, a young grifter who is determined to find success in the fashion world. Estella soon embraces her wicked and mischievous side after she meets fashion legend Baroness von Hellman (played by Emma Thompson).
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Jokerstarted trending on Twitter immediately followingthe release of theCruellatrailer. The two films were compared to one another because they are offering reinterpretations of iconic villains. They also had gritty first trailers in which their titular characters explain their troubled backstory via voice-over. Comedian Matthew Highton swapped out the audio from theCruellatrailer with that ofJoker. Highton stated on Twitter that the mashup fit so well that it could have served as “a prequel film aboutJoker’s mother.”
Joaquin Phoenix snagged his first Oscar win for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker inTodd Phillips' controversial film. The physiological blockbusterfollowed a wannabe stand-up comic who transforms into one of the most dangerous villains in Gotham City.Jokerreceived 11 Academy Award nominations and became the highest-grossing R-rated film in history by making over $1 billion worldwide.Cruellahasn’t been rated yet by the MPAA, but it’s unlikely it will receive an R rating likeJoker.
Cruella de Vil first appeared in Dodie Smith’s iconic children’s novelThe Hundred and One Dalmatians. The character was then notably seen in the 1961 animated filmOne Hundred and One DalmatiansandGlenn Close later played the terrifying villainin the 1996 live-action remake and its 2002 sequel. Craig Gillespie, who previously helmedI, Tonya,directedCruellafor Disney while Dana Fox (What Happens In Vegas) and Tony McNamara (The Favourite) wrote the screenplay.
Cruella’s first trailer drew an impressive 71 million views in its first 24 hours. This was more thanMaleficent: Mistress of Evil’s61.7 millionandAladdin’s60.8 million, but those fans will have to wait a little while longer to see the new adaptation. The film was originally slated to come out in December but was pushed back by several months due to the pandemic.
Cruellais scheduled to be released in theatres on July 17, 2025.
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