Is Prime Video’s Cruel Intentions a reboot of the 1999 film? Explained

Cruel Intentions premieres November 21, 2024, on Prime Video. Inspired by the 1999 film, inspired in turn by the French novel Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, the series involves two aspiring step-siblings in the thickly charged social set of Manchester College, just outside Washington, D.C.

Starring Sarah Catherine Hook as Caroline Merteuil, Zac Burgess as Lucien Belmont, and Savannah Lee Smith as Annie Grover, daughter of the Vice President of the United States, the adaptation carries over the ruthless intrigue and drama of the original from the early 18th century to the present in a modern college setting.

Yes, the series is a reboot of the 1999 film Cruel Intentions. The trailer hints at manipulation, betrayal, and ambition as Caroline and Lucien fight for their position atop the social chain in the foreground of scandal brewing that threatens Greek life on campus.

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What is Cruel Intentions about?

The rebooted version of Cruel Intentions takes up themes from the original 1999 film, transplanted to the high-stakes college Manchester College, close to Washington, D.C. Here, the Greek system reigns supreme, and reputation is everything. Center stage are two ambitious step-siblings, Caroline Merteuil and Lucien Belmont, both willing to do anything to stay at the top of the social ladder.

After an incident of hazing threatens to suspend the college's Greek life, they focus on Annie Grover, the daughter of the U.S. Vice President, and induct her into their scheme of manipulation.

In a place where family hierarchy and position in society are staples and a focus for control, Caroline and Lucien's ruthless nature makes them the two most unstoppable players. Using seduction and trickery, they establish their position within this dark game, and tension grows with each new shift in alliances and betrayal.

It promises to be the same seductive edge of the original Cruel Intentions, with high drama, dark twists, and intricate relationships all reflecting the cutthroat social scenes from both the classic film and the modern college setting.

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Who is in the cast of the Cruel Intentions series?

The cast includes Caroline Merteuil by Sarah Catherine Hook and her stepbrother, Lucien Belmont by Zac Burgess. Accompanying them in the show are Savannah Lee Smith who plays Annie Grover, the Vice President's daughter whom Caroline and Lucien target for their games.

Other notable cast members include Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, Khobe Clarke, Brooke Lena Johnson, and Sean Patrick Thomas reprising his role from the original film as Ronald; thereby offering a nostalgic connection to the original Cruel Intentions for longtime fans.

The showrunners are impressive: Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman have co-written and executive-produced this series with Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty.

Roger Kumble, who directed the original film, will continue to be associated with this series as an executive producer, thereby connecting the series back to its roots and providing it with an entirely fresh, modernized view of the story. The cast and crew here bring a mix of the known and unknown to the task.

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How does this adaptation connect to the original Cruel Intentions?

It actually restages the same themes of manipulation, seduction, and power games that mark the 1999 film Cruel Intentions, itself an adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

The movie with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as step-siblings Kathryn and Sebastian wagered on seducing the new headmaster's daughter, Annette. Played by Reese Witherspoon, the movie was famous for scandalous themes and became a cult classic overnight.

It portrays homage to the themes with this newest adaptation by setting the drama within the competitive world of college fraternities and sororities, capturing the same intensity and intrigue.

Including Sean Patrick Thomas and even covering Bitter Sweet Symphony, a key track in the 1999 definitive soundtrack, makes it even more similar to the original film. It allows the series to stay emotionally connected with the movie. But in the modern world of social media, new plotlines and characters need to be included.

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Cruel Intentions will be released on Prime Video on November 21, 2024.