Cruella trailer racks up a whopping 71 million views in the first 24 hours of release

Cruella trailer racks up a whopping 71 million views in the first 24 hours of release… besting Disney hits like Maleficent 2 and Aladdin

Disney made quite the splash last week when they debuted the first trailer for the highly-anticipated Cruella.

The trailer was watched a whopping 71 million times on all platforms within the first 24 hours, according to a report from Deadline.

While the numbers bested other Disney hits such as Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (61.7M views) and Aladdin (60.8M), it’s still nowhere close to the all-time record.

Big splash: Disney made quite the splash last week when they debuted the first trailer for the highly-anticipated Cruella

Trailer views: The trailer was watched a whopping 71 million times on all platforms within the first 24 hours, according to a report from Deadline

Trailer views: The trailer was watched a whopping 71 million times on all platforms within the first 24 hours, according to a report from Deadline 

Disney holds the top four slots in the most-viewed movie trailers of all time, with the first trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame leading the way with 289 million views.

The second trailer for Avengers: Endgame came in second place with 268 million views followed by the first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War with 230 million views and the live-action remake of The Lion King with 224.6 million views.

More recently, Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan amassed 175 million views in its first day, though that was before the COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on the movie industry in more ways than one.

Disney record: Disney holds the top four slots in the most-viewed movie trailers of all time, with the first trailer for Marvel's Avengers: Endgame leading the way with 289 million views

Disney record: Disney holds the top four slots in the most-viewed movie trailers of all time, with the first trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame leading the way with 289 million views

Cruella also earned an impressive 265K mentions on social media, surpassing both Aladdin (228K) and Beauty and the Beast (154K), which amassed 127.6M views of its first trailer.

A lot of the social media conversation swirled around controversial comparisons between Emma Stone’s title character and the Joaquin Phoenix film Joker.

Whether or not those social media impressions will translate into big box office dollars remains to be seen, with Disney setting a May 28 release date for Cruella, positioning it in the all-important Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Social media: Cruella also earned an impressive 265K mentions on social media, surpassing both Aladdin (228K) and Beauty and the Beast (154K), which amassed 127.6M views of its first trailer

Social media: Cruella also earned an impressive 265K mentions on social media, surpassing both Aladdin (228K) and Beauty and the Beast (154K), which amassed 127.6M views of its first trailer

Still, with roughly 53% of North American theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruella’s success certainly depends on how many theaters are open by the end of May, as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be rolled out. 

Many had wondered if Cruella would get a hybrid release in theaters and on Disney Plus with Premier Access, like the studio is doing with Raya and the Last Dragon on March 5.

However, the studio made no indication of a hybrid release during Disney Investor Day, though it still remains to be seen if theaters in major markets like Los Angeles and New York will be open by then. 

Theaters: Still, with roughly 53% of North American theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruella's success certainly depends on how many theaters are open by the end of May, as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be rolled out

Theaters: Still, with roughly 53% of North American theaters closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruella’s success certainly depends on how many theaters are open by the end of May, as COVID-19 vaccines continue to be rolled out

Cruella is set in 1970s London, as Stone’s character Estella de Vil, who finds herself amid the punk rock revolution, as she tries to make a name for herself with her unique designs.

She befriends a pair of thieves, Boris (Mark Strong) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) as her designs catch the eye of fashion legend Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson).

This relationship sets forth a chain of events that leads to Estella’s transformation into the wicked Cruella de Vil. 

Punk rock: Cruella is set in 1970s London, as Stone's character Estella de Vil, who finds herself amid the punk rock revolution, as she tries to make a name for herself with her unique designs

Punk rock: Cruella is set in 1970s London, as Stone’s character Estella de Vil, who finds herself amid the punk rock revolution, as she tries to make a name for herself with her unique designs

Thieves: She befriends a pair of thieves, Boris (Mark Strong) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) as her designs catch the eye of fashion legend Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson)

Thieves: She befriends a pair of thieves, Boris (Mark Strong) and Horace (Paul Walter Hauser) as her designs catch the eye of fashion legend Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson)