Poster © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Shown at reduced size for review and commentary.
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GenreAdventure, Comedy & Crime
RatedPG-13
Runtime2 hr 14 mins
ReleasedMay 28, 2021
StreamingSee Where to Watch
DirectorCraig Gillespie
StarringEmma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
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Cruella (2021)
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| Cruella's Details | |
| Genre | Adventure, Comedy & Crime |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Released | 05/18/2021 (Los Angeles); 05/28/2021 (United States) |
| Streaming | See Where to Watch on this page. |
| Running Time | 2 hr 14 mins |
| Budget | $100M (reported) |
| Box Office | Updated daily from Box Office Mojo. See the numbers below. |
| Based On | The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Cruella's Interests | |
| General | Punk couture, shop window displays, 1970s London, sewing machines, grand galas, a strong two-tone look. |
| Music | Nicholas Britell, plus a jukebox soundtrack loaded with Blondie, Queen and The Clash. |
| Movies | The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Another impossible boss, slightly fewer Dalmatians. |
| Television | Project Runway. Make it work, but meaner. |
| Heroes | Jasper and Horace. Henchmen with bigger hearts than the boss. |
| Cruella's Crew | |
| Director | Craig Gillespie |
| Writers | Dana Fox, Tony McNamara, Aline Brosh McKenna (story), Kelly Marcel (story), Steve Zissis (story) |
| Producers | Andrew Gunn, Marc Platt, Kristin Burr |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Karakatsanis |
| Music | Nicholas Britell |
| Edited By | Tatiana S. Riegel |
| Production | Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions, Gunn Films |
| Distributed By | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures |
Cruella plays so many oldies back to back that it’s basically a radio station with a plot. The real issue is the origin story. This is the woman who wants a coat made of puppies, and the movie spends 134 minutes turning her into a misunderstood fashion rebel we’re meant to cheer. That’s a different character with the same hair. Still, the clothes are incredible. Emma Stone is having a blast with two personalities and a lot of eyeliner, and Emma Thompson’s Baroness is pure ice, handing out insults like she’s tipping a valet. Their designer war, with Cruella crashing the Baroness’s parties in ever louder outfits, is the best stuff here. Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser bring real warmth as her crew. It made $233.5 million worldwide on a reported $100M. A 6.4 because the costumes and the two Emmas are a treat, and the story bends over backward to make a villain cuddly. $8,782 says the next Dalmatian you meet gets a pat on the head and its owner gets a careful once-over.
What works: The costumes are spectacular, and Emma Stone and Emma Thompson make their fashion war crackle.
What doesn’t: It turns a famously cruel villain into a misunderstood heroine, and at 134 minutes the needle drops never stop.
Who it’s for: Fashion lovers and Emma Stone fans who want a glam heist movie with a Disney badge.
Spoilers
Estella learns the Baroness is her birth mother, and that the Baroness’s Dalmatians caused the fall that took the woman who raised her. Cruella fakes her own death, tricks the Baroness into confessing in front of a crowd, moves into Hellman Hall, and sends two Dalmatian puppies to Roger and Anita to set up the classic story.
Estella (Emma Stone) was born with half-black, half-white hair and a real talent for trouble. By the 1970s she's in London, running small-time cons with her best pals Jasper (Joel Fry) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) and a scrappy little dog named Buddy, while dreaming about fashion. A lucky break lands her a job with the Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson), the most powerful and most terrifying designer in the city. Estella learns fast. She also starts building a louder, bolder alter ego called Cruella. Craig Gillespie directs. One hundred thirty-four minutes, zero beige outfits.
Bold dressers only. Leave your Dalmatian at home.
| Emma Stone | Estella Miller / Cruella de Vil |
| Emma Thompson | Baroness von Hellman |
| Joel Fry | Jasper |
| Paul Walter Hauser | Horace |
| Emily Beecham | Catherine Miller |
| Kirby Howell-Baptiste | Anita Darling |
| Mark Strong | John |
- (cur | prev) 14:30, 17 October 2026 DataBot +480 Numbers refreshed: Worldwide box office $233.5M; Domestic box office $86.1M; Opening weekend $21.5M; Profit / loss (est.) -$33.2M; Rotten Tomatoes 75%; CinemaScore A; box office chart updated; Rotten Tomatoes critics 75% (56 reviews); Metacritic 59 / 100; CinemaScore A; IMDb users 7.3 / 10 (302,624 votes); movie.guru score 7.2.
- (cur | prev) 12:00, 17 October 2026 DataBot +2,000 Profile created from Wikipedia and Box Office Mojo: cast, crew, release dates, budget, official trailer.