I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie is in talks to direct Academy Award winner Emma Stone in Disney’s live-action Cruella film.
Stone has been attached to the Cruella de Vil film since 2016 and it appears the project is moving forward. Deadline reports Gillespie is the current front-runner to helm the upcoming 101 Dalmatians spin-off. Alex Timbers was originally set to direct the film but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Andrew Gunn is on board to produce with Marc Platt. Cruella is said to be an origin story of the 101 Dalmatians vileness akin to Maleficent. The iconic villain originates from the 1961 animated classic and was portrayed by Glenn Close in the John Hughes-produced 1996 live-action film.
Cruella is one of many upcoming live-action remakes of animated films in development at Disney with next being Dumbo, here is the synopsis:
Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets.
Directed by Tim Burton from a script written by Ehren Kruger, Dumbo stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, and Alan Arkin.
Dumbo will be released in theaters on March 29, 2019.
Source: Deadline
