101 Dalmatians -1996- «2025-2027»

For those who need a refresher, the movie follows a familiar but slightly updated storyline. In London, video game designer Roger (Jeff Daniels) and his Dalmatian, Pongo, live a tidy bachelor life. Across the pond in a lavish townhouse lives fashion designer Anita (Joely Richardson) and her Dalmatian, Perdita.

While the core story of kidnapping puppies for a fur coat remains the same, the 1996 version introduced several significant changes: Full cast & crew - 101 Dalmatians (1996) - IMDb

, orchestrate a chance meeting in London's Regent's Park. The couple soon marries, and their dogs welcome a litter of 15 puppies.

Released in 1996, simply titled 101 Dalmatians , the film was a pivotal moment for the Walt Disney Company. It represented the apex of their 1990s strategy of producing high-budget, family-friendly blockbusters. While it retained the bones of the original story, the film distinguished itself through a distinct visual flair, a dedication to practical animal training, and, most notably, a career-defining performance by Glenn Close. Nearly three decades later, the film stands as a Technicolor monument to 90s cinema—a bright, bold, and fur-filled adventure that remains surprisingly effective. 101 Dalmatians -1996-

The film also softens some edges. The original’s “Cruella wants to kill puppies” is handled with euphemisms (“get rid of,” “prepare”), though one genuinely dark scene remains: Cruella, in silhouette, rehearsing the skinning of a fur coat with a tailor’s dummy. It’s a brief, shivery moment that reminds you of the macabre heart beneath the designer gloves.

Close plays Cruella as a terrifyingly sane narcissist. She doesn’t shout “What a hellion!” —she whispers it, as if tasting the malice. Her signature cackle is replaced with a slow, delighted smile. The film wisely keeps her offscreen for much of the first act, saving her for explosive entrances. In one iconic scene, she erupts from a cloud of camera flash smoke, declaring, “I live for fur. I worship fur. After the Bible—no, before the Bible—there is fur.” It’s ridiculous, and Close plays it with absolute, chilling sincerity.

A spotted, slobbery, and devilishly delightful relic of 90s Disney live-action magic. For those who need a refresher, the movie

of the major differences between this 1996 version and the original 1961 animated film?

To discuss the 1996 101 Dalmatians is, inevitably, to discuss Cruella de Vil. In the animated original, Cruella was a ghoulish, angular specter—a creature of nightmare and excess. For the live-action adaptation, the filmmakers needed an actor who could embody that menace without losing the necessary grounding in reality. They found their answer in Glenn Close.

Their happiness is short-lived when Anita’s boss, the eccentric and fur-obsessed Cruella de Vil While the core story of kidnapping puppies for

Here is an in-depth look at why this spotted adventure remains a beloved classic 25+ years later.

reimagines Disney's 1961 animated classic and Dodie Smith's 1956 novel for a modern audience. Directed by Stephen Herek and produced by John Hughes