Even a villain as evil as Cruella de Vil needs help, and now, she's got some.

Emma Thompson.

The film is an origin story centered on the well-known titular villainess. The most recent draft of the script was written by Tony McNamara, and Dana Fox wrote an earlier one. It's based on earlier works as Disney's "101 Dalmatians" franchise is itself based on Dodie Smith's 1956 children's novel "The Hundred and One Dalmatians."

Fry comes to the project having starred in films such as "Yesterday" and "Requiem." He's also a "Game of Thrones" vet and a former star of the series "You, Me and the Apocalypse." Additionally, he'll be seen in the "Love, Wedding, Repeat."

"Cruella" will be directed by Craig Gillespie, and its producers include Marc Platt, Kristin Burr, and Andrew Gunn. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on Dec. 23, 2020.

[via: Variety]