Dhruv Trivedi
Disney’s ‘Cruella’ reinvigorates the popular and villainous Cruella de Vil from the hit ‘101 Dalmatians’ franchise, based on Dodie Smith’s 1956 children novel titled ‘The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Exploring the fur-obsessed protagonist’s backstory, the film follows a young Estella de Vil (Emma Stone) in the 1970s as she slowly turns into the bitter and sadistic Cruella.
The highly stylized period look of the film takes inspiration from the eclectic aesthetics of its franchise predecessors, including the original animated iteration of 1961. If you’re wondering where the filmmakers recreated the opulent haute couture world of ‘Cruella,’ allow us to show you!
Cruella Filming Locations
‘Cruella’ is based in and around London, where a young Estella starts out as an aspiring fashion designer amidst the city’s burgeoning punk scene. The film was shot in multiple locations around England, and the production crew made use of a combination of vintage architecture and CGI to create its dark and stylish world. It also features multiple iconic and historic locations in the city. Production began in August 2019 and wrapped up in November of the same year. Let’s take a look at the movie’s specific filming locations.
London, England
Many of the film’s outdoor filming locations are in London and include some of the city’s iconic landmarks like the Liberty London department store. The Tudor-revival building houses a multitude of luxury outlets and features its distinctive exterior in the film. Its ornate interior was recreated in the studio using 3D scans of the original. The department store is located on Regent Street, Carnaby, in London’s Soho area, with another entrance on Great Marlborough Street.
Other recognizable parts of London where production took place include the iconic Westminster area next to The Mall. This administrative part of the city contains many of its most recognizable buildings and is located near Buckingham Palace. In addition, the Old Royal Navy College, located on King William Walk in Greenwich, was also used as a filming location. The 17th and 18th centuries buildings that form the college are a part of Maritime Greenwich, which is a designated World Heritage site.
The West London street market on Portobello Road is also featured in the film, but with modifications to make it look like a clothes market to reflect the fashion boom of the 1970s. On-location filming was also undertaken at the Carlton Gardens in Saint James’ district, the Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames, and on Duke’s Road in Central London.
Other Locations in England
‘Cruella’ also introduces The Baroness von Hellman as its antagonist, who is responsible for Estella’s eventual transformation into Cruella. The Baroness is a fashion mogul, and her multiple residences and places of engagement are depicted using various heritage buildings around England. To depict her London dwelling, the impressive facade of the Halton House in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, was used by the production crew. Originally built for a member of the Rothschild family, the house is currently a Royal Air Force officers’ mess.
Filming for The Baroness’ country home was undertaken at Englefield House near Reading in Berkshire County. The house and its sprawling estate are depicted as Hellman Hall in the movie, after Baroness von Hellman. A vintage cement factory located in Aldermaston, Berkshire, was also used for filming exterior scenes.
Most of the location filming for ‘Cruella’ was undertaken outdoors, with interior scenes being shot on intricate sets in the studio. In total, more than 100 sets were created, including a detailed version of the interior of the Liberty London department store. This, combined with the film’s heavily stylized aesthetic, required a significant amount of studio production which was undertaken at Shepperton Studios on Studios Road, Shepperton, Surrey.
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