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Emma Stone Responds To Cruella & Joker Movie Comparisons
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Emma Stone says Disney's Cruella will be very different from Joker. The Oscar-winning actress will play the titular role in the upcoming live-action prequel to 101 Dalmatians. Immediately after the release of the first trailer, Cruella began drawing comparisons to Todd Phillips' Joker origin story because of the striking similarities in theme and tone. Just hours after the trailer debuted, Twitter users even coined the term “Disney’s Joker” to refer to Cruella.
Just as Joker was for Batman's iconic nemesis, Cruella is expected to be a full-fledged origin story for the iconic 101 Dalmatians villainess Cruella de Vil. Though the film will be set primarily in 1970s London and follow Cruella's early years as an aspiring fashion designer, it will reportedly begin at her birth when she is given the name Estella by her mother, an impoverished laundrywoman. Estella eventually develops an eye for fashion and a peculiar interest in dog fur. Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser), who later become Cruella's henchman, play prominent roles during Estella's formative years.
Now, in an interview with Total Film, Stone herself is responding to comparisons of Cruella and Joker. Though she initially laughed at the suggestion, she can see why some think there are similarities. Interestingly, Stone has a connection to the Joker star Joaquin Phoenix, as she starred alongside him in 2015's Irrational Man. Stone says of Cruella:
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It’s very different from Joker in many ways...I would never even remotely compare myself to Joaquin Phoenix. I wish I was more like him.
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Cruella director Craig Gillespie also spoke on the topic of comparing the film to Joker and was a little more open about recognizing the similarities. “There are some really deep, emotional things that Cruella’s dealing with that send her to the villainous darker side," Gillespie says. "So in that sense, it is (similar), but it’s definitely its own thing," he added. Though Cruella will divulge a darker side of the character, it will also be filled with fun and humor according to Gillespie, which is very much unlike Joker.
It is also important to note Cruella received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA, which is rare for Disney. In that way, it may be feel surprisingly dark to those who regularly see the studio's films. However, it's nothing compared to Joker's R rating, meaning it's unlikely Cruella will adopt a tone as dark as Arthur Fleck's ominous origin story. Despite some morbid themes, Cruella is expected to appeal much more to general audiences when it releases simultaneously in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on May 28. It won't be until then that audiences find out if the film's comparisons to Joker are warranted or merely a funny joke based on the trailer.
Cruella (2021)
Release Date: May 28, 2021
