Emma Thompson in Talks to Join Emma Stone in Disney’s ‘Cruella’ (EXCLUSIVE)

By Justin Kroll

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Emma Thompson is in early talks to star opposite Emma Stone in the Disney’s “Cruella,” a live-action origin story based on the classic “101 Dalmatians” villain Cruella de Vil.

“I, Tonya” director Craig Gillespie is helming the film with Marc Platt, Kristin Burr and Andrew Gunn producing.

De Vil, who will be played by Stone in the new pic, is the villain who was obsessed with capturing the puppies in the 1961 animated classic “101 Dalmatians.” Glenn Close played the baddie in the 1996 live-action film produced by John Hughes, in which her character was also the head of a fashion house.

It’s currently unknown where this movie will pick up in de Vil’s timeline, as is the role Thompson would be playing.

Tony McNamara penned the most recent version of the script with Dana Fox writing a previous draft. Disney recently announced the film would be released on Dec. 23, 2020, signaling the project’s pre-production.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Thompson’s taken a role in one of Disney’s live-action adaptations. She previously played Mrs. Potts in 2017 box office smash “Beauty and the Beast,” and also played “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers in “Saving Mr. Banks” alongside Tom Hanks.

Thompson has a busy summer ahead of her with Amazon Studios comedy “Late Night” and “Men in Black: International,” both of which bow on June 7. She is repped by CAA and Hamilton Hodell.