Entertainment

Discover the origin of the villainous Cruella De Vil

Published

3 years ago

May 27, 2021

Many characters from our childhood, especially when you think of Disney, have left their mark on a generation forever. These stories with the good guys who have inspiring journeys, unforgettable music and a plot that impresses even those who are already adults. But none of this would be complete without the iconic villains. Those who arrive to disrupt the happy ending and often have their own stories as complex and interesting as the protagonists.

Who doesn’t remember Scar from the Lion King and the fateful scene of Mufasa’s death? Or the wicked witch and her craving for Snow White? Maleficent, Ursula, Jafar? Disney himself knows the power of these villains and that’s why nothing better than presenting us with an origin story of this character who was immortalized by Glenn Close in the first live action of 101 Dalmatians: Cruella De Vil or Cruella Cruel, as it has been translated into Portuguese.

The Evil Fashionista is part of the classic 101 Dalmatians story that was published in 1961. For those who are not familiar, the plot revolves around Anita and Roger, who own a Dalmatian couple named Pongo and Prenda. The female gives birth to 15 cute puppies that arouse the interest of Anita’s childhood friend, the wealthy Cruella De Vil.

Cruella is an eccentric fashion enthusiast socialite with an intense desire for animal fur clothing. Wanting to create a coat with Dalmatian fur, she offers money to buy the couple’s puppies. Roger denies it and she implements a plan to kidnap the puppies, with the help of two clumsy henchmen, Gaspar and Horácio.

One of the last animated films made under the supervision of Walt Disney himself, the film was a hit at the time, making its highest-grossing debut in the United States in 1961, with 102 millions of dollars. Anyone who thinks this story was created just for the movie is wrong. In fact, it is an adaptation of a children’s novel by English author Dodie Smith, released in 1956. The adaptation is quite faithful to the book, changing only a few details like the name of Prenda, which in the book is Missis.

Cruella De Vil was a very different villain from animations created in the past, she was unlike any other character, both in style and aesthetics. Modern clothes, two-tone hair, and the addition of quirky accessories helped offset all of its extravagance and eccentricity. Marc Davis, who was the host tasked with bringing these characters’ lives to the small screen, took inspiration from the characteristics of famous actress Tallulah Bankhead to create this successful antagonist.

In 1996, the story received its first live-action, starring Glenn Close as Cruella, Jeff Daniels as Roger, and Joely Richardson as Anita. The film was well received by audiences, earning the sixth highest grossing this year in the United States.

As previously mentioned, Glenn Close immortalized the villainous villain with his grimaces and memorable performance, so much so that he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. However, this role would not be hers at first, it was initially offered to Sigourney Weaver. Cathy Moriarty also auditioned for the role, but it was considered too scary for a children’s film.

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After 60 years of the original film’s release, Disney has bet on yet another live-action, this time exploring Cruella’s origins, presenting us with his past and his motivations for committing such cruel acts. For the role of the character, they chose award-winning actress Emma Stone, winner of the Golden Globe and the Oscar.

In the released trailer, we can see that the story will take place in London in the 70s, in an aesthetic that draws from the roots of the punk movement, involving a lot of style and a lot of rebellion, with a storyline that seems to develop beyond- above a lot of irony.

The long-awaited production opens on May 27 in Brazilian cinemas. For those who prefer to watch from home, the film will be released on May 28 on Disney + streaming, where it can be watched in first access for R $ 69.90.