Prime Video has ordered a Cruel Intentions TV show to series and given us a first look at the cast list.
Cruel Intentions, of course, was previously a 1999 movie based on the 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. Prime Video has revealed some plot details about the series, teasing a story that takes place “at an elite Washington, D.C., college, where two ruthless step-siblings will do anything to stay on top of the cutthroat social hierarchy.”
The description continues: “After a brutal hazing incident threatens the entire Panhellenic system at their school, they’ll do whatever is necessary to preserve their power and reputation, even if that means seducing the daughter of the vice president of the United States.”
Prime Video also revealed the cast of the new series, and while it doesn't include Gellar, Phillippe, Witherspoon, or Blair, it does still have some notable names. Those include First Kill’s Sarah Catherine Hook, Totally Completely Fine and Bring Me Back’s Zac Burgess, Savannah Lee Smith of the recent Gossip Girl reboot, American Horror Stories’ Sara Silva, Firefly Lane’s Khobe Clarke, John Harlan Kim of The Last Thing He Told Me and 9-1-1, You’s Brooke Lena Johnson, and Sean Patrick Thomas, who recently appeared in Till and Gen V.
Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios, and Original Film will handle the series’ production.
“From the ‘90s cult-classic film to the 18th-century novel from which it was adapted, Cruel Intentions has captivated audiences with a story that transcends time,” Amazon MGM Studios Head of AVOD Originals, unscripted, and targeted programming Lauren Anderson, said in a press release. “We are beyond thrilled to share the next chapter of Cruel Intentions’ intriguing interplay of deception, wit, and reckoning with Prime customers and couldn’t be more appreciative of the commitment, dedication, and talent from this entire team - our incredible cast, endlessly clever writers, led by Phoebe and Sara, our fantastic partners at Sony and Original Film, and the executives that led the way at Amazon MGM Studios.”
I Know What You Did Last Summers’ Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher will serve as executive producers and writers for the series. Original Films’ Pavun Shetty and Neal H. Moritz, alongside original Cruel Intentions director Roger Kumble, will also aid as executive producers.
“We are so excited to get to work together to continue the legacy of Cruel Intentions, a film that remains beloved by so many — including us!“ Goodman and Fisher said. “We promise to make this next iteration as fun, irreverent, and boundary-pushing as the original, and are grateful to our partners at Original Film, Sony, and Amazon MGM Studios for trusting us to keep it Cruel."
Although the lineup for Prime Videos’ Cruel Intentions series signals a strong start, fans will know that the franchise has seen attempts to create something in this department before. In 2016, Gellar joined a different show adaptation from NBC that promised to be a “modern spin” on the ‘90s film. The project ran into issues later that same year when it found itself being shopped around to other networks.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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