"Hello cruel world."
Cruella - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details
Easter Eggs
Roger and Anita, the main human characters from "101 Dalmatians," appear in supporting roles. Roger is the Baroness's lawyer, and Anita is a journalist and Estella's childhood friend.
This directly connects the prequel to the original story. The mid-credits scene solidifies this by showing Cruella gifting them the Dalmatian puppies Pongo and Perdita, setting up their future meeting and the events of "101 Dalmatians".
During a scene where Estella is watching television, the movie playing is Alfred Hitchcock's "Lifeboat" (1944), starring actress Tallulah Bankhead.
Tallulah Bankhead's flamboyant personality and distinctive laugh were a major inspiration for the character design and mannerisms of the animated Cruella de Vil in the 1961 Disney classic.
While Jasper and Horace are in their van, they observe people walking their dogs, and Horace notes that the owners look like their pets.
This is a direct visual homage to the opening sequence of the animated "101 Dalmatians," where Pongo makes the same observation while looking for a mate for Roger.
After taking over the Baroness's estate, Hellman Hall, Cruella paints over the last three letters of the name on the gate.
This transforms the name to "Hell Hall," which is the name of Cruella's dilapidated mansion in the original animated film where the puppies are held captive.
In the original animated movie, Cruella frequently calls Anita "darling." In this film, it's revealed that Anita's last name is Darling.
This retcons the line from the original film, suggesting Cruella was using Anita's full name all along, adding another layer to their pre-existing relationship.
In the background of Hell Hall in the final scene, a suit of armor can be seen.
This suit of armor is placed in the exact same spot as a similar one seen in the animated version of Hell Hall.