Several years after the Disney movie proved to be a big hit, fans are still eagerly awaiting any Cruella 2 updates. Directed by Craig Gillespie and starring Emma Stone as Estella a.k.a. Cruella de Vil, Cruella simultaneously serves as the origin story for the classic 101 Dalmatians villain and lays the groundwork for a new live-action franchise. The movie sets up multiple potential sequels and spinoffs, including a 101 Dalmatians remake and a direct sequel.

Set in the late 1970s, Cruella details how a young orphan named Estella rose to become the black and white-haired fashion icon and master criminal who loves fur but despises dalmatians due to a traumatic childhood experience. The film delves into Cruella de Vil's backstory, completes Estella's Joker-like transformation into her alter-ego, and leaves the door wide open for the next chapter. While updates have been rather scant, a sequel has been in the works for quite some time.

Cruella 2 Latest News

Emma Stone Offers An Uncertain Update

While not much has come from Disney in the last few years regarding the sequel, star Emma Stone offered an update on the progress of Cruella 2 in January 2024. In an interview, Stone coyly spoke about when the sequel could start shooting, saying "Hopefully, hopefully sooner rather than later". She then made it clear that the film is still a "work in progress" before explaining her love for the character of Cruella. "She’s a blast, she’s the best" Stone said, indicating her eagerness to return to the role.

Cruella 2 Is Confirmed

The Sequel Was Confirmed In 2021

Though a lot of time has ed, Cruella 2 was officially confirmed back in 2021, and the announcement was made hot on the heels of the release of the first movie. The box office and critical success of Cruella made a sequel a clear winner, but the studio has been slow in developing the long-awaited project. Even after pandemic woes faded, Disney has still not made any major moves.

Cruella grossed over $230 million (via Box Office Mojo)

Cruella 2 Cast

Will Emma Stone Return?

Nothing has been made official beyond the original sequel announcement, but most of the Cruella original cast is expected to return. This means Oscar-winner Emma Stone will be back in the titular role and Paul Walter Ha has seemingly confirmed that he will return as Horace. While nothing else is confirmed, Cruella made it possible for many of the original cast to return.

The presumptive cast of Cruella 2 includes:

Cruella 2 Story

More Than Just A Remake of 101 Dalmatians

Cruella details how the orphaned Estella transformed herself into Cruella de Vil and supplanted Baroness von Hellman as an iconic fashion designer, but now that her character is established, the villain is just getting started. Cruella 2 can now show her taking over the fashion world while continuing her life as a notorious criminal.

Cruella 2 could remake/reboot 101 Dalmatians from Cruella's perspective, or it could take the elements introduced in the first film and tell an original story about Cruella and her accomplices that further establishes de Vil's hatred of dalmatians. Meanwhile, Emma Stone and Emma Thompson have also suggested their idea that Cruella 2 could take a cue from The Godfather Part II as a combined prequel/sequel that bounces back and forth from the Baroness's origin and Cruella's new adventure.