Cruel Intentions (TV series)

Last updated

Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions (TV series).jpg
Promotional poster
Genre Drama
Created by
  • Phoebe Fisher
  • Sara Goodman
Based on Cruel Intentions
by Roger Kumble
Les Liaisons dangereuses
by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Starring
Music by Jeff Cardoni
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Jess Burkle
  • Stefan Steen
  • Sheila Phillips
Production locations Toronto, Ontario
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time39–49 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Amazon Prime Video
ReleaseNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)

Cruel Intentions is an American drama television series created by Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman, and produced by Original Film, Sony Pictures Television, and Amazon MGM Studios for Amazon Prime Video. Part of the franchise of the same name, it is based on the 1999 film by Roger Kumble, which in turn was a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses . [1]

Contents

The series, set in a Washington, D.C., college among rich students, follows two manipulative step siblings who are ready to do anything to maintain their status. It features a cast led by Sarah Catherine Hook, Zac Burgess, and Savannah Lee Smith.

Plan for a television adaptation of the film started in 1999 at Fox with a prequel series that was later retooled as the 2000 direct-to-video film Cruel Intentions 2 following its cancelation due to creative concerns. In 2015, NBC picked up a television pilot for a continuation of the film's storyline with Sarah Michelle Gellar returning but later passed on the project. Amazon announced a new project's development for Amazon Freevee in 2021, with Neal H. Moritz returning as an executive producer. It was given a series order in April 2023, and moved to Prime Video several months later. Filming took place in Toronto and began in June 2023.

Cruel Intentions premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 21, 2024, to generally mixed reviews. In March 2025, the series was canceled after one season. [2]

Premise

Two step-siblings at Manchester College in Washington, D.C., have worked hard climbing the Greek life social ladder on campus. After a hazing incident goes wrong, however, the two will do anything it takes to maintain the status they have achieved and set their sights on seducing the Vice President's daughter. [3]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Alpha" Adam Arkin Teleplay by : Phoebe Fisher
Story by : Phoebe Fisher & Sara Goodman		November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
2"Beta" Nick Copus Teleplay by : Phoebe Fisher
Story by : Phoebe Fisher & Sara Goodman		November 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
3"Gamma"Nick CopusNicholas StrainNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
4"Delta"Pippa BiancoChaconne Martin-BerkowiczNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
5"Epsilon"Pippa BiancoDes MoranNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
6"Zeta"Nick CopusValerie ArmstrongNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
7"Eta" Iain B. MacDonald Jess BurkleNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)
8"Theta"Iain B. MacDonaldPhoebe Fisher & Sara GoodmanNovember 21, 2024 (2024-11-21)

Production

Development

In 2015, NBC picked up a television pilot for a continuation of the 1999 film Cruel Intentions with Sarah Michelle Gellar returning but later passed on the project. Following that, Sony Pictures Television announced that the project will either be shopped to other networks or completely redeveloped. [5] [6] Amazon Studios announced that a new project was being developed in October 2021. [7]

It received a series order, and filming was set to begin in April 2023. The series is developed by Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman who are set to executive produce alongside Neal H. Moritz. [8] Upon the main cast announcement, Pavun Shetty, Andrea Iervolino, Monica Bacardi, and Bruce Mellon were added as executive producers. Original Film, Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television, and Amazon MGM Studios are producing the series. [3] Eight episodes were ordered for Amazon Prime Video instead of Amazon Freevee. [9] In March 2025, Amazon Prime Video canceled the series after one season. [2]

Casting

In June 2023, Sarah Catherine Hook, Zac Burgess, Khobe Clarke, Brooke Lena Johnson, Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, and Myra Molloy joined the starring cast with Sean Patrick Thomas as Professor Chadwick, having previously appeared in the original film as Ronald Clifford. The recurring cast includes Laura Benanti and Jon Tenney. [3] Additional recurring members announced in December 2023 were Claire Forlani, Nikki Crawford, Isabella Tagliati, and Zeke Goodman. [9]

Filming

The series began shooting in June 2023 in Toronto. [10] [11]

Release

The series was released on November 21, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video. [12]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 24% approval rating based on 25 critic reviews, with an average rating of 4.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Neither as fun or transgressive as the original Cruel Intentions, this television adaptation doesn't cut deep enough to make much of an impression." [13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 41 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed and average" reviews. [14]

References

  1. ↑ Kaufman, Anna (October 24, 2024). "The 'Cruel Intentions' reboot gets its steamy first trailer: Watch". USA Today . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Otterson, Joe (March 10, 2025). "'Cruel Intentions' Canceled After One Season at Amazon (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Otterson, Joe (June 1, 2023). "Cruel Intentions Series at Amazon Sets Main Cast (Exclusive)". Variety . Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Moore, Julia (October 24, 2024). "Cruel Intentions Series Merges 1999 Film's Salacious Step-Sibling Love Triangle with Modern-Day Greek Life: See the Trailer". People . Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  5. ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (October 31, 2016). "'Cruel Intentions' Not Moving Forward at NBC, Sony TV Shopping Reboot". Variety .
  6. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (October 31, 2016). "'Cruel Intentions' Not Going Forward At NBC, To Be Shopped Elsewhere By Sony". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  7. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (October 1, 2021). "Cruel Intentions Update in the Works at Amazon's IMDb TV". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on October 1, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  8. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (April 4, 2023). "Cruel Intentions TV Adaptation Ordered to Series (Finally!) at Amazon". TVLine . Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  9. 1 2 Petski, Denise (December 4, 2023). "Cruel Intentions Series Order Confirmed At Prime Video; Full Cast Set". Deadline Hollywood .
  10. ↑ Rajput, Priyanca (April 28, 2023). "Cruel Intentions TV adaptation sets summer Toronto shoot". KFTV.com . Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  11. ↑ "What's Shooting". ACTRA Toronto. ACTRA . Retrieved December 4, 2023.
  12. ↑ Rahman, Abid (October 24, 2024). "Amazon's 'Cruel Intentions' Series Gets First Trailer, Release Date". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Cruel Intentions: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Cruel Intentions: Season 1". Metacritic . Retrieved February 18, 2025.
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