The trailer for Cruella left many people comparing the film to Joker, with respect to its perceived story, tone and themes. However, the star of Disney's live-action 101 Dalmatians prequel movie, Emma Stone, says it's a far cry from DC's Oscar-winning drama.
"[Cruella is] very different from Joker in many ways,” Stone told Total Film magazine, laughing as she did. "I would never even remotely compare myself to [Joker star] Joaquin Phoenix," she added. "I wish I was more like him.”
Much like Joker examines the origins of the titular DC super-villain, Cruella takes audiences back in time to when Cruella de Vil was simply Estella, the daughter of an impoverished laundrywoman who dreams of becoming a successful fashion designer. “There are some really deep, emotional things that Cruella’s dealing with that send her to the villainous darker side. So in that sense, it is [similar to Joker]," said director Craig Gillespie. “But it’s definitely its own thing. Just to sort of reframe Cruella, I thought it was important to show this darker side of her."
Gillespie, who is coming off directing the darkly-comical 2017 biopic I, Tonya, also indicated Cruella will be much more comedic than Joker. "There’s a lot of absolutely delightful banter and rhythm to the style of it, which is different from Joker," he added.
Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”) stars in Disney’s “Cruella,” an all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. “Cruella,” which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense & Sensibility”). But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.
Directed by Craig Gillespie, Cruella stars Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mark Strong and Emily Beecham. The film arrives in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access May 28.
Source: Total Film magazine, via GamesRadar+