101 Dalmatians (franchise)

Lore & Background

The franchise originated with Walt Disney's 1961 animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians, adapted from Dodie Smith's novel. A direct-to-video sequel, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, was released in 2003. Live-action adaptations include the 1996 film 101 Dalmatians and its 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians, both starring Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil. A prequel film, Cruella (2021), starring Emma Stone, offers an origin story set in the 1970s, with a sequel in development as of June 2021.

Television series include 101 Dalmatians: The Series (1997–1998) and 101 Dalmatian Street (2019–2020). The franchise also appears in the series Once Upon a Time and the film Descendants. Numerous video games have been released, and characters appear in Disney parks and the Kingdom Hearts series.

Reader's Guide

The 101 Dalmatians franchise is significant as one of Disney's earliest and most enduring animal-centered properties, introducing the iconic villain Cruella de Vil. Its 1961 animated film was a landmark in Disney animation, using Xerography to reduce costs. The franchise has been continuously adapted across media, including live-action remakes, television series, and video games, maintaining cultural relevance for over six decades. The 2021 prequel Cruella, starring Emma Stone, revitalized interest and led to a planned sequel. The franchise's legacy includes its influence on pet ownership trends and its role in Disney's expansion into direct-to-video sequels and cross-platform storytelling.

Did You Know?

• The 1961 animated film was the first Disney feature to use Xerography for inking.
• Glenn Close reprised her role as Cruella de Vil in the 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians.
• The 2021 film Cruella is a prequel set in the 1970s, starring Emma Stone.
• A sequel to Cruella was announced in June 2021, with Emma Stone returning.

From Novel to Franchise: The Creative Foundation

The 101 Dalmatians franchise traces its roots to Dodie Smith's 1956 novel, The Hundred and One Dalmatians, which served as the creative bedrock for everything that followed. The Walt Disney Company took this literary property and expanded it into a sprawling multimedia empire, beginning with the traditionally animated feature One Hundred and One Dalmatians, which opened in theaters on January 25, 1961, under Buena Vista Distribution. What makes the franchise's origin particularly fascinating is that Smith herself penned a sequel in 1967 called The Starlight Barking, yet Disney never drew upon that material for any of their productions. Instead, the studio chose to build its own narrative universe directly from the original 1956 novel, crafting a self-contained world of Pongo, Perdita, Cruella de Vil, and their dalmatian puppies. This decision to work exclusively from the first book rather than the author's own follow-up gave Disney the creative latitude to shape characters and stories in ways that would define the franchise for decades to come.

Cruella's Cinematic Evolution: From Villain to Protagonist

The live-action adaptations of 101 Dalmatians represent a bold reinvention of the source material, beginning with the 1996 family comedy written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Stephen Herek. Glenn Close's portrayal of Cruella de Vil became a cultural touchstone, and she reprised the role in the 2000 sequel 102 Dalmatians, helmed by Kevin Lima in his directorial debut. Notably, Close and Tim McInnerny were the only original cast members to return for that follow-up. The franchise then took a remarkable turn with Cruella (2021), a standalone prequel set in the 1970s that reimagined the villain's origin story through Emma Stone's performance. Directed by Craig Gillespie with a screenplay by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara, the film was delayed from December 2020 to May 2021 due to the pandemic. Close served as executive producer, and costume designer Jenny Beavan noted that Close's involvement helped shape Stone's portrayal as a younger 1970s version of her own character. By August 2021, a sequel was officially in development, with Gillespie, McNamara, and Stone all set to return.

Television Adventures and Crossover Appearances

Beyond the theatrical films, 101 Dalmatians found a second life on television and in crossover projects. The animated series 101 Dalmatians: The Series ran on ABC from September 1997 to March 1998, producing 65 episodes across two seasons. It blended elements from both the 1961 animated original and the 1996 live-action remake, centering on three puppies—Lucky, Rolly, and Cadpig—along with Spot, a chicken who dreams of being a dog. A more modern British animated comedy, 101 Dalmatian Street, premiered in the UK in March 2019 and ran through February 2020 for 26 episodes. Set in 21st-century London, it follows Dylan and his sister Dolly, descendants of Pongo and Perdita, as they care for their 97 younger siblings. The franchise also crossed over into other Disney properties: Cruella de Vil appeared in seasons four and five of Once Upon a Time, portrayed by Victoria Smurfit as a witch with animal-control powers, and in the 2015 Disney Channel film Descendants, where Wendy Raquel Robinson played a villain exiled to the Isle of the Lost alongside her son Carlos.

Six Decades of Momentum and What Comes Next

From a 1961 hand-drawn adventure to a 2021 prestige prequel, the 101 Dalmatians franchise has demonstrated remarkable staying power across six decades. The 2003 direct-to-video sequel Patch's London Adventure, produced by Disney Television Animation, brought the story full circle by sending the scrappy puppy Patch to rescue his 98 siblings after Cruella's latest dognapping scheme. Glenn Close's continued involvement speaks to the franchise's enduring appeal: she executive-produced Cruella, wrote a new sequel story set in New York City while working on that project, and remains attached to the role. The franchise's future looks equally active, with the Cruella sequel officially announced by June 2021, featuring Craig Gillespie returning as director and Tony McNamara on script. The creative team has expressed a desire for the sequel to carry the gravitas of The Godfather Part II, signaling an ambition to treat the character's world with cinematic weight. Meanwhile, the 2021 Cruella film's dual release—both in theaters and on Disney+ via Premier Access—reflected a shifting landscape for how Disney delivers its live-action storytelling to audiences.