'Cruel Intentions' Canceled After One Season at Amazon
------------------------------------------------------
"Cruel Intentions'" long road to TV has ended rather cruelly.
Variety has learned exclusively that the "Cruel Intentions" TV
series at Amazon Prime Video has been canceled after just one
season. The series originally debuted on the streamer in
November 2024. The show served as a TV update to the 1999 film
of the same name, which was itself based on the classic novel
"Dangerous Liaisons."
A TV show based on the film was set up at IMDB TV (a.k.a Freevee)
in 2021 before being formally ordered at Prime Video in late
2023.
The Amazon series starred Sarah Catherine Hook, Zac Burgess,
Savannah Lee Smith, Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, Khobe Clarke,
Sean Patrick Thomas, and Brooke Lena Johnson.
Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher served as co-showrunners, writers,
and executive producers. Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty of
Original Film also executive produced along with Roger Kumble.
Moritz produced the original film, which was written and directed
by Kumble. Bruce Mellon along with Andrea Iervolino and Monika
Bacardi of Iervolino & Bacardi Entertainment were producers. The
series was produced by Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM
Studios, and Original Film.
Per the official description, the show "follows the elite students
of Manchester College, a Washington, D.C.-adjacent university,
where reputation means everything, fraternities and sororities are
the gold standard, and two ruthless step-siblings, Caroline
Merteuil (Hook) and Lucien Belmont (Burgess), will do anything to
stay on top of the cutthroat social hierarchy. After a brutal
hazing incident threatens the entire Greek Life system, they'll do
whatever is necessary to preserve their power and reputation -
even if that means seducing Annie Grover (Smith), the daughter of
the Vice President of the United States. Hearts will be broken,
loyalties will be tested, and secrets will be revealed in this
modern-day royal court that is Manchester College."
Amazon does not typically release viewership information regarding
their shows, so it is difficult to gauge exactly how many people
tuned in to "Cruel Intentions." However, the series failed to make
an appearance on the Nielsen Top 10 Streaming charts and also
failed to find much love with critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the
series held a 24% critical approval rating with 10 reviews counted.
Prior to this version of the show, NBC ordered a pilot for a
followup to the film in 2016 with Sarah Michelle Gellar, one of the
film's original stars, attached to reprise her role as Kathryn
Merteuil. However, it ultimately didn't make it to series. Prior to
that, Fox's attempted a "Cruel Intentions" prequel series, which
was canceled before making it to air. Three episodes of that show
were eventually assembled to become the direct-to-video film "Cruel
Intentions 2" in 2001. In 2004, Sony Pictures produced a second
direct-to-video sequel, "Cruel Intentions 3."
<
https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/cruel-intentions-canceled-amazon-prime-video-1236333500/>
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)