‘Cruella’ Director Says Disney ‘Knew What They Were in For’ After Seeing ‘I, Tonya’

The movie “Cruella” isn’t really similar to “Joker” as everyone assumed, but it is to “I, Tonya,” director Craig Gillespie’s Oscar-winning crime drama with Margot Robbie as figure skater Tonya Harding. And one wonders how anyone who saw that movie would think Gillespie would be perfect for a Disney movie. But Gillespie tells TheWrap that going into “Cruella” directly from “I, Tonya,” Disney knew exactly what they were getting into with his twisted, zany, punk rock take on the classic “101 Dalmatians” villain. “The fact that [they’re] calling me after ‘I, Tonya,’ I think they kind of knew what they were in for,” Gillespie said. “My sense was they really wanted to lean into an edgier version, so I did. If they’re coming to me after that, I’m going to embrace it and see if anyone says no, which they didn’t.”