​Disney's Cruella Is Being Compared To The Joker As First Trailer For Prequel Film Drops

Movie fans reckon the trailer for Disney's new Cruella film reminds them of another iconic villain, comparing the titular character to the Joker.

Ahead of its US release this May, Disney has released a trailer for the new live-action feature film, which follows the early life of 101 Dalmatians baddie Cruella de Vil, played by Emma Stone.

But seeing Stone in action as the notorious fur-obsessed criminal has reminded people not of the character from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel or its various film adaptations... but of a DC supervillain.

One person tweeted: "In retrospect, we should've seen 'Disney Presents: Emma Stone as The Joker' coming."

Another joked: "Finally... Disney's Joker."

A third wrote: "I think it's beautiful that they made a joker for women. It's HER turn to make the dullest movie I've ever seen."

Providing a little more explanation for the comparison, one Twitter user said: "Both have that 'Society left me in the cold, so I'm reclaiming what should be mine and making a name and chaos for myself' type of vibe."

And it's not just Twitter that has picked up on the idea, either.

Sharing the trailer in an article, The Verge's Julia Alexander wrote: "There's a moment in the first trailer for Disney's live-action Cruella movie when Emma Stone utters in a terrible faux British accent, 'I am woman, hear me roar.'

Walt Disney

"It feels less like something Disney fans will remember from the iconic 101 Dalmatians villain, Cruella de Vil, and more like Jared Leto's Joker telling Batman, 'We live in a society.'

"All of which is to say that Disney may have found its own Joker-type character in Stone's Cruella de Vil... but not necessarily in a good way."

A synopsis for the forthcoming film reads: "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 cinema's most notorious - and notoriously fashionable - villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil.

Walt Disney

"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 (Howard's End, Sense and Sensbility). 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."

Cruella is set to be released on 28 May 2021.

Topics: Disney, Entertainment, TV and Film, Joker

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman