Cruella is now free for subscribers to watch on Disney+. Premiering in theaters on May 28, the 101 Dalmatians prequel was also made available on the same day on Disney+ with Premier Access, meaning subscribers needed to pay an extra $29.99 to watch the movie. Now, Cruella has just become available for everyone on the platform to watch for free, so now’s the time to check it out if you’re a Disney+ subscriber who’s been holding off.
Despite the pandemic, Cruella succeeded in becoming one of the highest-grossing releases of the year. The movie grossed more than $225 million and Disney has since announced a sequel. Emma Stone recently signed on to reprise her role in the upcoming sequel with the actress reportedly scoring an eight-figure deal to return.
RELATED: Emma Stone Is Confirmed to Return in Cruella 2
News of Emma Stone signing on came at an interesting time. Disney is currently preparing for a legal battle with Scarlett Johansson with the Black Widow star suing them over the dual release of that movie in theaters and on Disney+.There had been rumors of Stone considering a similar lawsuit, though nothing was officially filed. Soon after it was reported that she had officially signed on for Cruella 2. For the upcoming sequel, Gillespie is also set to return as director while McNamara is also back to pen the script.
“We are very pleased with Cruella’s box office success, in conjunction with its strong Disney+ Premier Access performance to date,” a statement from Disney read when the sequel was announced. “The film has been incredibly well received by audiences around the world, with a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to A’s in every demographic from CinemaScore on opening weekend, ranking it among the most popular of our live-action reimaginings. We look forward to a long run as audiences continue to enjoy this fantastic film.”
Craig Gillespie directed Cruella using a screenplay by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara. The movie serves as an origin story for one of Disney’s most dastardly characters, Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians. Along with Stone in the lead, Cruella also stars Emma Thompson as Baroness von Hellman, and both of them were widely praised by critics for their performances in the movie. Joel Fry, Emily Beecham, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Mark Strong also star.
“I feel like we’ve only just met her,” Gillespie said of what’s to come, via Collider, suggesting the sequel will be even more intriguing. “I’d love to now see the full-blown Cruella, fully loaded. She’s managed to get the support system around her and she can really expand on her brand. I’d love to see where that takes her and how you could almost destroy her from inside out, if she’s not careful with all that power.”
As for the sequel, an official release date has not yet been set at the House of Mouse. Certainly, we can expect for this one to play on the big screen, but it’s hard to say if Disney will still be offering new movies on Disney+ with Premier Access by that point. More updates on Cruella 2 are likely coming soon, but for now, you can find Cruella now streaming on Disney+.
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