Cruel Intentions TV adaptation reportedly picked up by Amazon

A new TV adaptation of Cruel Intentions has reportedly been greenlit by Amazon.

The 1999 teen romantic drama follows two vicious step-siblings at an elite Manhattan prep school who aim to “deflower” the headmaster’s daughter.

According to a report in TVLine, the new adaptation will be an eight-part show developed for Amazon’s streaming service Freevee. It’s claimed that the series may be moved over to Amazon’s paid subscription service Prime Video before release.

The story of Cruel Intentions is based on the 1782 epistolary novel Dangerous Liaisons. It starred Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe. Despite mixed reviews, it was considered a commercial success and grossed $76m worldwide.

Instead of the movie’s New York location, the reboot will take place in Washington DC. The series will follow “two ruthless step-siblings who will do anything to stay at the top of the Greek Life hierarchy at their elite college” according to the report.

The story will supposedly take a turn when a hazing incident “threatens the entire Panhellic system” and the duo will do whatever it takes to sustain their status and reputations, including seducing the US vice president’s daughter.

Per TVLine, the project will go into production this month, with filming set for Toronto.

This is not the first time someone has attempted to adapt Cruel Intentions for TV. In 2016, NBC tried to make two prequel series with Gellar reprising her role – one for network, another for streaming. Both failed to make it off the ground, with Gellar later describing it to the New York Times as “a whole crazy time”.

Gellar is not involved with Amazon’s Cruel Intentions. The series first went into development in October 2021, with Sarah Goodman (original Gossip Girl) and Phoebe Fisher (Euphoria) attached to write the pilot.

Neal H Moritz, who produced the original Cruel Intentions, is one of the series’s executive producers.