Cruella De Vil solo movie heading to the big screen

A live-action film centering on Cruella De Vil is currently in the works.

According to a report by US Magazine, a live-action film about the iconic Dalmatian-obsessed puppy-napper is currently being developed, and it will be called (surprise, surprise), Cruella. Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) is set to pen the script for this film.

The fabulous, fur-obsessed fashionista made her first appearance in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, before being voiced by Betty Lou Gerson and causing childhood nightmares in the Disney animated classic of the same title. The character became even more popular when she was portrayed by Glenn Close in the live-action film 101 Dalmatians, and its sequel 102 Dalmatians.

At the time she portrayed the role, the award-winning actress told The Morning Call:

“I was very aware of the audacity of trying to humanize what I think is a brilliant cartoon character because I know how much my daughter loves the story. The cartoon character has a strong visual image – the bony shoulders, the white fur coat, the skeletal face. We took nearly four months to come up with her look. It took a lot of experimentation.”

Cruella is the latest in a trend of live-action film adaptations of Disney animated classics, following Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella, and the upcoming The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. This film can be compared, in particular, with Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, and centering on the antagonist of Sleeping Beauty. It’s the early days, so we still don’t know if this project will follow Maleficent‘s route of redeeming a well-known Disney villain. At the very least, we will be learning more about Cruella’s back story.

Cruella De Vil also recently graced our TV screens when she appeared for a brief story arc on Once Upon a Time‘s fourth season as one of the Queens of Darkness, along with Maleficent and Ursula. She was played by Victoria Smurfit.