The television adaptation of Cruel Intentions finally gets an exciting update over at Amazon. Written and directed by Roger Kumble, with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair, and Ryan Phillippe comprising the main roles, the tawdry tale of wealthy high school students has gained an elevated status since its premiere in 1999. It also performed well at the box office, raking in more than $75 million worldwide against a reported budget of just $10.5 million. However, despite its success, it has struggled in terms of spawning equally memorable spinoffs.

TVLine has now offered an update on that front, confirming that the long-awaited Cruel Intentions television adaptation has been given an eight-episode series order at Amazon. The project, which is expected to begin filming later this month in Toronto, will be set in Washington D.C. It'll follow two step-siblings who sit atop the Greek life hierarchy at their elite college. When a brutal hazing incident threatens "the entire Panhellenic system;" they'll do anything to maintain their power and reputations. That includes sleeping with the daughter of the U.S. vice president. Cruel Intentions was initially set up at Freevee, but it could move to Prime Video.

Cruel Intentions Is Already A Bit Of A Franchise


This latest TV adaptation of Cruel Intentions is not the first. There had also been a planned show from NBC, which would have served as a continuation of the first film and featured Gellar returning to her memorable role as Kathryn Merteuil. However, in 2016, roughly a year after the project had been officially announced, it was reported that the Cruel Intentions sequel show would not be happening after all.

Recently, as she's promoted her new series Wolf Pack, Gellar admitted she's grateful NBC's Cruel Intentions didn't work. The actor explained the pilot wasn't heading in the direction that she wanted. Gellar went on to note that since NBC is a broadcast network, and thus limited in the kinds of scenes it is allowed to show, the Cruel Intentions series would not have been true to the salacious spirit of the 1999 movie if it did move forward.

In the aftermath of the first film's impact, there have been direct-to-video sequel movies that did not include any of the original's main cast. Amazon's update of Cruel Intentions will have a lot to live up to and get right, and not just because the 1990s version had an instantly iconic scene between Gellar and Blair. The teen thriller was an undeniable gem, punctuated by one of the more memorable needle drops and closing montages in its genre.