First trailer for Disney's Cruella gives villain a Joker-style origin story

(Image credit: Walt Disney Studios)

published 17 February 2021

On Wednesday, Disney released the first trailer for its upcoming live-action Cruella de Vil movie, and in doing so confirmed that we live in a society.

Set in 1970s London, Emma Stone stars in Cruella as the "bad, brilliant, a little bit mad" villainess who — as we know from 101 Dalmatians — will one day grow up to be an aspiring puppy mass-murderer. Inspiring! Disney's sympathetic origin story naturally drew comparisons to another beloved gritty villain, with Vox's Alex Abad-Santos observing, "I do love the premise of Cruella is what if someone girlboss'd so hard they became the Joker." It really does make you wonder, is it just me or are movies getting crazier out there?

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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