Kirby Howell-Baptiste To Join Emma Stone In ‘Cruella’

Killing Eve actress Kirby Howell-Baptiste has officially joined the cast of Cruella, which will star Emma Stone in a live-action prequel to 101 Dalmatians.

According to Variety, Kirby Howell-Baptiste (Killing Eve) is the latest addition to the star-studded cast of the film, which will serve as an origin story to classic Disney villain Cruella de Vil. Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man) plays the titular role.

Kirby Howell-Baptiste’s character has not been revealed. However, there is one detail with the role, and it’s that Kirby Howell-Baptiste is listed as playing a character “opposite” to Emma Stone, suggesting that her character and Cruella will face off against one another in some fashion. Filming on the movie has already begun, with a first look at Cruella released by Disney in time for Disney D23 last month. Kirby Howell-Baptiste just now signing suggests that she has not yet filmed any scenes.

The film will be set in London in the 1970s, and reportedly features a heavy punk influence. Are you interested in seeing Disney’s new take on Cruella de Vil? Are you excited to see Kirby Howell-Baptiste join Emma Stone in the cast? Let us know in the comments!

Based on a novel by Dodie Smith, the original 101 Dalmatians centered on the eponymous group of pups as they attempted to find their way home after being kidnapped by Cruella de Vil and her cohorts, who wanted to skin them with the intention of making a new fur coat. Disney remade the film as a live-action feature in 1996 with acclaimed actress Glenn Close as Cruella.

Directed by Craig Gillespie from a script Tony McNamara, Disney’s Cruella stars Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel Fry, Mark Strong, Emily Beecham, Gianni Calchetti, Kate Margo, and Kirby Howell-Baptiste.

Cruella will be released on May 28, 2021.