“101 Dalmatians” star Glenn Close made a rare appearance at the recent Disney D23 Expo as her iconic film character, Cruella de Vil. Notably, she did so to tease the possibility of a ride dedicated to her at the upcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom.
Close appeared on stage during the Parks and Experiences portion of Disney’s D23 Expo. First, she could be seen with her back turned to the audience as smoke filled the area and her iconic laugh blared through the speakers. After that, two people, one of whom was Neil Patrick Harris, joined her on stage, similar to her henchmen from the movie.
One says, “The mirror summoned her, lucky us, right, Tib.” Close, as Cruella de Vil then said before turning around, “What are you waiting for, you sycophant? Introduce me, you morons.” From there, the Oscar-nominated actress turned around, walking upstage toward the audience.
Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil Threw Villainous Shade At Her Fellow Disney Characters
Close continued her performance as Cruella de Vil by discussing the planned rides at the upcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom. She did so by saying, “Well, I heard that that overstuffed purple handbag was getting her own ride. I thought to myself, ‘Surely, that can’t be.”
While continuing to speak about Maleficent, she said, “Leather is so passe. There isn’t a woman in all of this wretched world who wouldn’t rather have fur, darling.” After that, she summoned Harris, saying, “Let’s go and leave these two to work on the opening of my ride.”
Disney First Announced The Villains Land at Magic Kingdom in 2024
GettyDisney announced plans for Villains Land in August 2024. A year later, the company provided an update, stating that work on the land had officially begun. Now, at the most recent D23 Parks and Experiences presentation, they may not have confirmed an opening date, but they did provide more details about the land.
First, to the dismay of Close’s Cruella de Vil, the biggest attraction is set to be the Maleficent roller coaster. The ride was described as ambitious during the panel, and it was noted that the technology and ideas used for it have “never been attempted before.”
Another announcement was that the land will include an indoor magic mirror attraction. Notably, this is inspired by the magic mirror features in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Regarding the Villains land overall, it will feature an overarching storyline about a cursed forest and a broken wishing well, according to Disney.
In additon to Maleficent, the land will feature several other Disney Villains. Some include Ursula, the Evil Queen, Hades, Jafar, Dr. Facilier, and many others.
Glenn Close Played The Character in the live-action ‘101 Dalmatians’
GettyDisney released the live-action version of “101 Dalmatians” in November 1997, with Close playing Cruella de Vil. The movie also starred Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Joan Plowright, Hugh Laurie, and Mark Williams. Regarding its box office, the film has made $320,689,294 since its release, according to Box Office Mojo.
Close spoke about her legacy as the character in a January 2025 interview on ABC’s “The View.” She said, “It’s so funny, kids now know me as Cruella. I one time did a laugh when I saw a little kid and then the little girl started crying.”
