Cruel Intentions: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know About The TV Remake

The 1999 cult classic romantic drama thriller Cruel Intentions is getting a brand-new remake on the small screen, and there are already a ton of exciting details about Amazon Prime Video’s update. Loosely based on the 18th century French novel Dangerous Liaisons, the story concerns a pair of wealthy step-siblings who have carefully crafted their social life while attending college. Things take a dark turn when a hazing incident threatens their standing, and they’ll do anything to keep their status. Much like the original film, the TV remake aims to tear down social structures with a thrilling and modern take.

In an era of TV remakes of movies, Cruel Intentions seems like a logical project, and shows about colleges have never failed to intrigue viewers. Interestingly, the Cruel Intentions TV remake isn’t the first stab at a franchise, and the 1999 box office hit spawned two straight-to-video sequels in the early 2000s. Though those sequels paled in comparison to the original, they proved that the concept has a timeless quality that makes the TV remake all the more logical and necessary. Amazon Prime Video is no stranger to romantic thrillers, and Cruel Intentions could be another hit for the streamer.

The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Latest News

The Release Date & Trailer Are Announced

Just a month after the project was given its first tease in the form of first-look images, the latest news comes in the form of the release date and trailer for the Cruel Intentions TV remake (via Deadline). The Amazon Prime Video exclusive series has finally been put on the schedule, and it will drop all 8 episodes on Thursday, November 21, 2024. This delivers on the earlier promise of a November release window, though Prime Video has finally narrowed it down to the latter half of the month.

Along with the release date, Prime also dropped the first trailer for Cruel Intentions, and it shows off the series’ abundant tributes to the 1990s cult classic. Set to the jaunty beat of a cover of The Verve’s ’90s hit “Bittersweet Symphony”, the trailer introduces Caroline and Lucius, step-siblings who will stop at nothing to preserve their status on campus. Their plan involves seducing the daughter of the U.S. Vice President, in order to keep the sororities and fraternities from being shut down. Things take dramatic turns as the duo’s sensual plans continue to escalate into a full-blown campus war.

The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Release Date

The Campus Drama Returns In November

The best Amazon Prime Video original shows are often large productions that take a while to get off the ground, and the Cruel Intentions series was no exception. The first rumblings of a remake came back in 2021 when the project was announced as in development. However, it wouldn’t be until 2023 that Prime Video would give Cruel Intentions the green light with Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher attached as co-showrunners. Since then, the show has been scheduled to premier on November 21, 2024.

Cruel Intentions
will consist of 8 episodes.

The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Cast

A New Cast Of Cruel College Students

The cast of the TV remake of Cruel Intentions has been announced, and it even features a returning actor from the original film in a new role. Sean Patrick Thomas had one of his earliest film roles in the 1999 original as Ronald, but he will appear in the series as a completely different character, Professor Chadwick. As for the new cast, Sarah Catherine Hook and Zac Burgess are set to star as Caroline and Lucius, respectively, a pair of step-siblings who aspire to climb the social ladder in college.

No other original stars are set to appear in the series.

Savannah Lee Smith will appear as Annie Grover, the daughter of the Vice President of the United States who will be falsely seduced by Caroline and Lucius. Caroline’s mother, Claudia, is played by Laura Benanti, and Jon Tenney has been tapped to play U.S. Congressman Russell. Khobe Clarke’s Scott, Sara Silva’s CeCe, and John Harlan Kim’s Blaise make up various classmates of Caroline and Lucius, and round out the supporting cast. Claire Forlani, Nikki Crawford, Isabella Tagliati, and Zeke Goodman have all been cast in undisclosed roles.

The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Story Details

Will It Be A Straightforward Remake?

To preserve their status, the duo resorts to increasingly cruel and unusual deeds, including pretending to seduce the daughter of the U.S. Vice President.

Because the series is a remake of the 1999 film, the basic framework of Cruel Intentions is known. The show will follow vain step-siblings Caroline and Lucius as they try to climb the social ladder at their prestigious Washington D.C. college. With college Greek life at the focus of the story, the step-siblings find themselves in trouble when a hazing ritual goes horribly wrong and puts their place in the social hierarchy in jeopardy. To preserve their status, the duo resorts to increasingly cruel and unusual deeds, including pretending to seduce the daughter of the U.S. Vice President.

As for updating the story, showrunners Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher made it clear that concepts like social media won’t play into the narrative. Opting for a more timeless feel, the series eschews technological advancement in favor of a more traditional and interpersonal story. There’s also a chance to focus more on supporting characters, something that is often lost in a feature film. However, it’s still uncertain what small tweaks will be made to the plot to keep Cruel Intentions from being a stale rehash of the film.

The Cruel Intentions TV Remake Trailer

Watch The Full Trailer Below

In anticipation of the show’s premiere in November, Amazon Prime Video has dropped a full trailer for Cruel Intentions. Highlighting the connection between the original film and the remake, the trailer is punctuated with a cover of ’90s classic “Bittersweet Symphony” by The Verve. The trailer introduces Lucius and Caroline as they concoct their plan to seduce Annie Grover (the daughter of the U.S. Vice President). They do this to keep the sororities and fraternities from getting closed down, but their plan isn’t as simple as it seems. The sexual drama escalates into a campus-wide battle for social supremacy.