So, the trailer for Disney’s Cruella just dropped. Let’s take a look at this prequel to, presumably, the live-action adaptation of 101 Dalmatians:
Okay, that might’ve been too quick of a look. Clearly, we need a more in-depth analysis of Cruella here. Starting with:
Cruella de Vil: Disney’s Harley Quinn?
As noted before by others, there’s a distinct Harley Quinn vibe coming from this incarnation of Cruella de Vil. However, they’re not on a one-to-one footing here. Harley is wild and enthusiastic to the point of mania. Cruella seems more…restrained. More subdued, almost stoic, in her mannerisms, as befitting a young lady in 1970’s London.
However, you also can’t deny that both Harley and Cruella have a bit of a…flair going on. A flare too, from the looks of it. Both of them seem to have an anti-establishment theme as their core personality traits, even if they express it differently. You could almost call it a punk theme.
Actually, there is a definite punk theme going on in that Cruella trailer, what with the constant anti-establishment themes going on. From Cruella’s attitude to the constant attempts to shock her audience, Cruella is definitely looking to turn some heads, even if she has to turn them upside-down. And that’s before you even get into the early press posters. The black-and-white style of those posters mimics the British punk bands of the 1970’s, like the Sex Pistols. It’s very fitting, given the aforementioned timeframe of the movie. As Tom Craven would say: “This is going to be punk rock AF!”
Conclusion
The Cruella trailer just dropped, revealing a very punk Cruella de Vil. It’s rather fitting, given that the movie takes place in 1970’s London, right when the British punk movement was getting started. I’d expect a lot of punk references in the movie, maybe even a Sex Pistols song or two. It’s certainly making me hyped to watch the movie when it comes out on May 28, 2021. Hopefully, they’ll have it on Disney+, and even more hopefully not as a premier access deal.
Source: Walt Disney Studios
