Disney’s Cruella, which stars Emma Stone as the villainous Cruella de Vil, has garnered numerous comparisons to Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. Now, a fan has made a video that shows how Cruella could be the origin story of Joker's mother, Penny Fleck.
The upcoming Disney film is the live-action prequel to 101 Dalmatians. Set in 1970s London, Cruella offers a re-imaged origin story of the iconic Dalmatian hoarding thief and follows Estella, a young grifter who is determined to find success in the fashion world. Estella soon embraces her wicked and mischievous side after she meets fashion legend Baroness von Hellman (played by Emma Thompson).
Joker started trending on Twitter immediately following the release of the Cruella trailer. The two films were compared to one another because they are offering reinterpretations of iconic villains. They also had gritty first trailers in which their titular characters explain their troubled backstory via voice-over. Comedian Matthew Highton swapped out the audio from the Cruella trailer with that of Joker. Highton stated on Twitter that the mashup fit so well that it could have served as “a prequel film about Joker’s mother.”
Joaquin Phoenix snagged his first Oscar win for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck/Joker in Todd Phillips' controversial film. The physiological blockbuster followed a wannabe stand-up comic who transforms into one of the most dangerous villains in Gotham City. Joker received 11 Academy Award nominations and became the highest-grossing R-rated film in history by making over $1 billion worldwide. Cruella hasn't been rated yet by the MPAA, but it’s unlikely it will receive an R rating like Joker.
Cruella de Vil first appeared in Dodie Smith’s iconic children’s novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. The character was then notably seen in the 1961 animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians and Glenn Close later played the terrifying villain in the 1996 live-action remake and its 2002 sequel. Craig Gillespie, who previously helmed I, Tonya, directed Cruella for Disney while Dana Fox (What Happens In Vegas) and Tony McNamara (The Favourite) wrote the screenplay.
Cruella's first trailer drew an impressive 71 million views in its first 24 hours. This was more than Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’s 61.7 million and Aladdin’s 60.8 million, but those fans will have to wait a little while longer to see the new adaptation. The film was originally slated to come out in December but was pushed back by several months due to the pandemic.
Cruella is scheduled to be released in theatres on May 28, 2021.
Source: Matt Highton|Twitter