Emma Stone will return for ‘Cruella 2’

Oscar winner Emma Stone has closed a deal to return for Cruella 2, prompting her agent to address dealmaking in the streaming age.

News of the sequel's development broke in early June, just weeks after the live-action prequel to the Disney animated classic "101 Dalmations" opened in theaters. At the time, "Cruella" director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara were both expected to return for the new movie, but a deal was not yet done for Stone. Deadline was first to confirm Stone's return.

Some people speculated that Stone would be among the stars to file lawsuits against Disney after Scarlett Johansson waged war with the Mouse House, accusing it of interfering with her Marvel contract when the studio decided to make Black Widow available day-and-date on Disney+. While several Disney stars surely explored their legal options, none have sued the studio to date.

Signing Stone up for a Cruella sequel could be viewed as a preemptive countermove, or it could just be smart business for Disney, which released the first film at a cost of $29.99 on Disney+ Premier Access under the same hybrid model as Black Widow. Cruella, which is based on the 101 Dalmatians villain, reportedly took in $21 million on Disney+ that first weekend before going on to gross more than $220 million worldwide.

If Disney is smart, they'll also bring back costume designer Jenny Beavan, who seems likely to score an Oscar nomination for her work. Of course, Cruella 2 is still a ways off, but it's nice to know that Stone is locked in.