Cruella breaks Jasper and Horace out of prison and reveals the truth, recruiting them, Artie and John for her final scheme. The quintet sneaks into the Baroness's charity gala, having arranged for all the guests to dress as Cruella. On the balcony, Estella confronts her mother, who feigns an embrace before pushing her over the cliff, unwittingly witnessed by her guests. Estella secretly survives with a hidden parachute and, now legally dead, adopts her Cruella persona for good. The Baroness is arrested, swearing revenge on Cruella. Before "dying", Estella willed her inheritance to Cruella, including the manor which she renames from Hellman Hall to "Hell Hall", moving in with her accomplices. Emily Beecham as Catherine: Estella's adoptive mother, an impoverished laundrywoman and former maid at Hellman Hall. Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Anita Darling: Estella's childhood classmate, who works as a gossip columnist. [18] [19] Anita is later gifted a female Dalmatian puppy named Perdita by Cruella.

Dutta, Debopriyaa (May 26, 2021). "Cruella Review: Emma Stone Is The Beating Heart Of Masterfully Nuanced Origin". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 26, 2021 . Retrieved May 26, 2021. Travers, Peter (May 28, 2021). " 'Cruella' review: Emma Stone and Emma Thompson deliver much to enjoy in this beautifully crafted fluffball". ABC News. Archived from the original on May 28, 2021 . Retrieved May 29, 2021. A prequel novel titled Cruella: Hello, Cruel Heart was published by Disney Publishing Worldwide on April 6, 2021. Written by Maureen Johnson, the novel is set before the events of the movie, in 1967. It followed sixteen-year-old Estella and her encounter with Magda and Richard Moresby-Plum, two wealthy siblings who introduced her to the world of the rich and famous. [47]Erbland, Kate (May 26, 2021). " 'Cruella' Review: This Spotty Prequel Refashions a Disney Villain with More Style Than Substance". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021 . Retrieved June 3, 2021. Gajewski, Ryan (January 17, 2022). " 'Dune,' 'West Side Story' Among Set Decorators Society of America Awards Nominees for Film". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved January 18, 2022. In 2013, Disney announced the film's development with Andrew Gunn as a producer. Stone was cast in 2016 and also serves as an executive producer on the film alongside Glenn Close, who portrayed Cruella in the previous live-action adaptations, 101 Dalmatians (1996) and 102 Dalmatians (2000). Principal photography took place in England between August and November 2019.

Disney's 'Cruella' Casts Joel Fry as Jasper (EXCLUSIVE)". August 7, 2019. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019 . Retrieved August 7, 2019. Tangcay, Jazz (January 24, 2022). "Art Directors Guild 2022 Nominations Headed by 'Nightmare Alley,' 'Cruella,' 'No Time to Die,' 'In the Heights' ". Variety . Retrieved January 24, 2022.Tangcay, Jazz (December 13, 2021). "Critics Choice Awards: 'Belfast' and 'West Side Story' Dominate Nominations". Variety . Retrieved December 13, 2021. San Diego Film Critics Society Award Winners". San Diego Film Critics Society. January 10, 2022 . Retrieved January 12, 2022. Emma Thompson as the Baroness: The narcissistic, authoritarian, and egotistical head of a prestigious London fashion house and a renowned haute couture designer, who is Estella's new boss and eventual rival. She plays a key role in Estella's transformation.