From Fifty Shades of Grey to Fifty Shades of…Spots? Kelly Marcel, known for scripting the Fifty Shades adaptation and Saving Mr. Banks, has next been tapped to write Walt Disney Pictures’ live-action CRUELLA. The pic, which follows the Maleficent mold, presents a new spin on the affluent villainess Cruella de Vil, who sought to skin dalmatian pups and wear their fur in Disney’s animated classic 101 Dalmations. Marcel will craft the story with Togetherness co-creator Steve Zissis.
Cruella is being fast-tracked, in line with a slew of other live-action adaptations in development at the studio. With the massive success of Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, and Cinderella, it’s no wonder that the house of mouse is dusting off their library of animated titles and priming them for major live-action franchises.
Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast are already wrapped and awaiting release, while Tim Burton’s Dumbo, a Maleficent sequel, an Aladdin prequel, and the Reese Witherspoon-led Peter Pan prequel Tink are quickly moving forward. There’s even development on live-action adaptations of Mulan, Pinocchio, and The Little Mermaid.
Earlier this week when Disney announced their slate of releases, they reserved four mystery dates specifically for their live-action fairy tales: Dec. 22, 2017; Nov. 2, 2018; March 29, 2019; and Nov. 18, 2019.
Aline Brosh McKenna wrote an earlier draft of Cruella, which is based upon the character who first appeared in Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Though, Cruella de Vil was made iconic by Disney’s interpretation in the 1961 animated film. Cruella has twice before been brought to life in live-action features, with Glenn Close embodying the scheming rogue in 101 Dalmations and its sequel, 102 Dalmations.
Aside from her work on Fifty Shades of Grey and Saving Mr. Banks, another Disney title, Marcel is also known for creating, producing, and scripting Fox’s futuristic dinosaur series Terra Nova.
Marcel is repped by UTA in the U.S.
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Clark Allen | Associate Editor
