Disney character Cruella De Vil latest victim of Hollywood's smoking ban

Cruella de Vil's iconic cigarette holder will not feature in "Cruella". Emma Stone says portraying the villain without it was difficult. Photo / AP

Cruella de Vil was never seen without her iconic cigarette holder and a plume of smoke in the Disney cartoon 101 Dalmatians.

However, her cigarette habit has been stubbed out in "Cruella", the live-action prequel released on Friday.

The decision to sanitise the notorious villain - known for plotting the massacre of dozens of puppies - sparked mockery online.

Vanity Fair's chief critic Richard Lawson tweeted incredulously: "Cruella is inarguably the most famous Disney character who loves cigarettes."

Emma Stone, the actress who plays the fur-obsessed baddie, said it was tough playing the character without cigarettes: "That is not allowed in 2021," Stone told the New York Times.

"We are not allowed to smoke onscreen in a Disney film. It was difficult to not have that cigarette holder… I was so excited to have that green plume of smoke in there, but it was not possible."

Emma Stone in a scene from "Cruella". Cruella De Vill does not smoke in the 101 Dalmatians prequel. Photo / AP

Disney banned smoking in its films in 2007, extending the prohibition to Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar in 2015. The company has updated measures to ensure its films are family friendly.

Last year it added warnings to films on its Disney+ streaming service, including Dumbo, Aristocats and Peter Pan, that they contain "negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures."

The warning adds: "These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now."

In a further dramatic plot twist, Stone's incarnation of Cruella doesn't even want to skin puppies.

Production notes released by the studio say: "In our film, the character Cruella does not in any way harm animals… Cruella doesn't share the same motivations as her animated counterpart."

Stone appeared relaxed about how her character has been brought up to date.

"I don't want to promote smoking, but I'm also not trying to promote skinning puppies."