Could Cruella Be Disney’s Joker!?
If you’ve been following along with MickeyBlog this morning then you may have seen the trailer for Cruella! The clip made such a statement this morning that we weren’t surprised to see it trending. However we WERE surprised to see what was trending with it! The internet was going mad for comparisons between the film and beloved comic book characters like Joker and Harley Quinn. By lunchtime social media was hailing the film as Disney’s Joker.
For those unfamiliar Cruella, starring Emma Stone is Disney’s origin story for one 101 Dalmatians iconic villain. The film reimagines Cruella, has a 1970s London punk rock aesthetic and depicts the character, according to ScreenRant as more of an antihero than a Villain!
If Arthur Curry (Joker) and Audrey Hepburn had a daughter, it would be #Disney's Cruella. pic.twitter.com/ehUUqIL3m0
— usopp🇲🇦 (@usopp007) February 17, 2021
This flash of the film is largely attributed to Australian director Craig Gillespie who helmed I, Tonya which earned a Best Actress Oscar for Margot Robbie. However, it’s Margot Robbie’s iconic turn as Harley Quinn in Birds of Prey that Cruella is being compared to. It’s hard to deny the similarities, as ScreenRant points out, both films are VERY similar in tone and approach,. In Birds of Prey, for instance, Quinn was made the hero, you feel sympathetic toward her struggles and both films are highly stylized in a sort of dark seedy rock n’ roll sort of way.
“We live in a society, where honor is a distant memory.” Disney’s Joker is coming soon. #Cruella pic.twitter.com/OqMDUeEe46
— Mucc (@TheLonelyMucc) February 17, 2021
Disney's #Cruella trailer has inspired lots of comparisons to Joker and Harley Quinn https://t.co/b58tNYSbo0
— UPROXX (@UPROXX) February 17, 2021
As you can see from some of the tweets, a number of tweets have renamed Cruella “Disney’s Joker” and others saying this is Stone’s turn as Harley Quinn. All in all, the reception appears to be warm for the film with many seeing the comparisons as a positive thing, though some were also quick to criticize Disney for being almost too similar to its predecessors.
emma stone harley quinn era i love it i love it pic.twitter.com/sXlVMa1MDX
— Olwethu 🌸 (@saintmauds_) February 17, 2021
Harley Quinn literally the blueprint pic.twitter.com/T26Tx319YW
— Margot Robbie supremacy (@harlsrobb1e) February 17, 2021
However, whether you see the film as an homage to classic comic book origin stories or simply formulaic in the way it capitalizes on other villainous box office hits, it should be remembered that this is merely a trailer. It will be interesting to see how these elements hold up during the full length film.
Disney's Cruella is looking a lot like The Joker and Harley Quinn. 🃏 #Cruella pic.twitter.com/tLl8JqgpZA
— Markell Bailey (@tenorbuds) February 17, 2021
And in case you missed the trailer- here it is in its entrity so that you can make up your own mind!
Cruella premieres in May. This is a story that we’ll continue to follow closely. Readers are encouraged to keep checking back with us for further news and updates.
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