Kirby Howell-Baptiste joins ‘Cruella’ gang

Killing Eve star Kirby Howell-Baptiste will be joining Emma Stone in Disneys upcoming live-action Cruella. Set in 1970, Cruella will delve into the backstory of 101 Dalmatians villain Cruella de Vil, and try to find an answer to the question — ‘How did she get this way?’ Stone will portray the role of Cruella de Vil, the villain who is obsessed with capturing Dalmatian puppies in the 1961 animated classic. Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser and Joel Fry will also appear in the film. No details about Howell-Baptiste’s character have been revealed yet, reports variety.com. Craig Gillespie is helming the project, which is scheduled to release in 2020. The film is currently in production. Tony McNamara penned the most recent version of the script, with Dana Fox having written a previous draft. Marc Platt, Kristin Burr and Andrew Gunn are producing the film. (IANS)