Does ‘Cruella’ Wear Real Fur in the New Live-Action Movie?
If she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will! But does Cruella de Vil wear fur or try to harm any puppies in Disney's new live-action movie? The answer, it seems, is a resounding no. Cruella's over her obsession with fur, darlings.
Portrayed by Emma Stone in Cruella, which is set to hit theaters and Disney+ (sign up here!) on Friday (May 28), the iconic villain will finally get an origin story set in the avant-garde, punk fashion scene of 1970s London. And instead of being motivated by the desire to — shudder — skin Dalmatian puppies for their enviable fur, a young Cruella is pitted against Emma Thompson's Baroness von Hellman, the haughty head of a major fashion house who becomes Cruella's eventual rival.
In fact, Disney even released a statement in the film's production notes to let fans know they need not worry about the character's intentions towards any adorable puppies or other critters. "In our film, the character Cruella does not in any way harm animals…. Cruella doesn’t share the same motivations as her animated counterpart," the studio said.
Of course, that wasn't always the case. Cruella was infamous for her obsession with fur in the original 1961 animated version of 101 Dalmatians, as well as its 1956 source material by Dodie Smith. In the 1996 live-action remake starring Glenn Close, she had the same nefarious goal, and same goes for its 2001 sequel, 102 Dalmatians.
In the new film, Stone's Cruella will be outfitted in avant-garde ensembles curated by Academy Award-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan, all the way down to her inimitable two-tone black and white locks.
"Fashion is Cruella's tool of revenge," Stone explains in a featurette dropped by Disney ahead of the film's release.
"This film is the biggest thing I've ever done," add Beavan, revealing that the actress dons an unbelievable 47 separate high-fashion looks throughout the film. "It was very important to me for Cruella to be black, white, gray and red." And absolutely no fur.
Watch a behind-the-scenes look at the film's jaw-dropping fashion below.