As someone who grew up in the ’90s and was enamored by the sultry allure of “Cruel Intentions,” I must say, my heart skipped a beat when I saw the trailer for the upcoming series! With memories of Kathryn Merteuil’s (Sarah Michelle Gellar) devilish schemes and Sebastian Valmont’s (Ryan Phillippe) irresistible charm still fresh in my mind, it’s hard not to feel a twinge of nostalgia.
Amazon’s Prime Video has unveiled the initial teaser for their upcoming series adaptation of ‘Cruel Intentions’, filled with callbacks to the original movie. Originating from the big screen in 1999, ‘Cruel Intentions’ was a modern retelling of the 1782 novel ‘Les Liaisons dangereuses’, which had previously been adapted as the 1988 film ‘Dangerous Liaisons’. Unlike its predecessors, this rendition transports the storyline to an elite high school in New York City and features some prominent actors including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair, who remain well-known figures today. The film enjoyed such enduring popularity that it was re-released in theaters in 2019 to mark its 20th anniversary.
The first teaser for “Cruel Intentions” has been unveiled, revealing the premiere date for the series on November 21, 2024. The trailer showcases numerous references to the 1999 movie, such as reenacting the memorable same-sex kiss and a rendition of “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve, a track that was pivotal in the film’s closing scene. The series appears to maintain the central plot of the original, with characters now named Caroline Merteuil (played by Sarah Catherine Hook) and Lucien Belmont (portrayed by Zac Burgess). Interestingly, this adaptation seems to explore a more overt sexual relationship between step-siblings, a theme that was merely hinted at in the initial film.
Originally slated for Amazon Freevee in 2021, “Cruel Intentions” later found its home on Prime Video in 2023. Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman are steering the series as showrunners and executive producers. Notably, this isn’t their first adaptation of a ’90s film featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar; they previously worked together on the Amazon Prime Video show “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” which debuted in 2021.
There Have Been Several Failed Attempts At Adapting Cruel Intentions To Television
The journey to a “Cruel Intentions” TV series has been a protracted one, filled with twists and turns. After the unexpected success of the 1999 movie, a prequel TV series titled “Manchester Prep” was commissioned by Fox but was unfortunately axed before airing; instead, the two completed episodes were repurposed into the direct-to-video sequel “Cruel Intentions 2,” released in 2000. This was followed by “Cruel Intentions 3” in 2004. In 2016, NBC took a stab at reviving the TV series once more. This new version would have been a continuation of the original film, with Sarah Michelle Gellar reprising her role as Kathryn Merteuil. Unfortunately, NBC declined to move forward with the pilot. Now, eight years after the last TV attempt and 25 years since the initial movie’s release, “Cruel Intentions” is back on track.
Cruel Intentions” is joining the growing list of movies based on bullying themes that have been adapted into TV shows. The controversial attempt to revive “Heathers” as a TV series occurred in 2018. It was announced that Mike Flannagin would be working on a limited series adaptation of “Carrie,” which had previously been made into films in 1976 and 2013. It appears that “Cruel Intentions” is set to modernize the story for its TV version, but it remains to be seen if it will resonate with a new generation as strongly as the original film did back in 1999.
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2024-10-25 01:35