Cruella just released in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access (additional fee required) last weekend and a sequel to the movie is already in early development. Director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara are expected to return for the second movie, however, it’s unclear if this will be a true sequel to the original film or a spin-off revolving around one of the other characters. It’s also unknown whether this will be a theatrical release or made for Disney+
A Disney spokesperson recently stated, “We are very pleased with Cruella’s box office success, in conjunction with its strong Disney+ Premier Access performance to date. The film has been incredibly well received by audiences around the world, with a 97% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes in addition to A’s in every demographic from CinemaScore on opening weekend, ranking it among the most popular of our live-action reimaginings. We look forward to a long run as audiences continue to enjoy this fantastic film.”
Disney does not report its streaming numbers to the public, however, according to Samba TV, the film drew in 686,000 households in the United States over the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend. That number is 39% less than the four-day Labor Day number for Disney’s Mulan which also premiered on Disney+ Premier Access. That live-action film pulled in 1.12 million U.S. households over Sept. 4-7, 2020, however, it did not release in U.S. theaters due to the pandemic
In addition to the streaming numbers, reports show that Cruella grossed $27 million at the domestic box office over the Memorial Day weekend. Add the estimated $20.57 million the film made via Premier Access and the film has made $47 million domestically. The movie made an additional total of $16.1 million in 29 international territories, bringing the global tally to $65 million. “Cruella” will open in China on June 6 which will help boost these numbers.
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.
Disney’s Cruella is directed by Craig Gillespie (“I Tonya”) from a screenplay by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara, story by Aline Brosh McKenna and Kelly Marcel & Steve Zissis. It was produced by Andrew Gunn (“Freaky Friday”), Marc Platt (“Mary Poppins Returns”) and Kristin Burr (“Christopher Robin”), with Emma Stone, Michelle Wright, Jared LeBoff and Glenn Close serving as executive producers. Two-time Oscar®- winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “A Room with a View”) creates the dazzling and imaginative costumes, which take on a life of their own.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter