Was live-action Disney movie is nothing like what would have been expected before the pandemic; however, Disney's official stance is treating the picture as a success. Cruella thus reflects the transitionary period Hollywood finds itself in at the moment: with theaters around the world still closed (both temporarily and, in some cases, permanently), opening weekends are no longer the benchmark for a movie's commercial viability.
Cruella is a soft reboot of the 1962 Disney classic, 101 Dalmatians, following a pattern of the company remaking its legacy animated titles in live-action. The movie presents the origin story for the iconic evil fashion queen Cruella de Vil, following the example of Maleficent. Not only does Cruella offer a sympathetic view of its villain, but it (wisely) leans into a '70s glam-rock aesthetic, letting fashion and pop hits take the forefront of the narrative.
The box office returns for Cruella so far have just barely broken $130 million globally, but the studio is treating the movie as a hit. Reportedly, Cruella becoming free on Disney+.
As Scott Mendelson points out in his 's estimated bloated budget of $200 million, the movie isn't a bomb either — and is in an attractive position of being a promised money-maker long term.
Likely, Disney sees Emma Stone's Cruella de Vil as the kind of icon that teen girls will swarm to for years to come. This is attractive to a company like Disney because it can be a lucrative merchandising opportunity — filling the Gen-Z gap of young women who've outgrown Cruella 2 is a smart way to keep the brand active, much like Disney did with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland franchise. Disney can maintain interest in the Cruella sequel, ramping up marketing efforts leading up to the debut, almost guaranteeing a strong opening weekend. Besides, with Cruella ending on such a tantalizing cliffhanger, there are many who will want to see the sequel just out of pure curiosity.
