How the Prime Video series Cruel Intentions reimagines the iconic ‘90s film for a new generation
February 27, 2025 | By Matt Miller, Sr. Copywriter
Cruelty is timeless. When it comes to entertainment, at least.
That’s according to showrunners Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher, who created this new adaptation of the iconic ‘90s thriller Cruel Intentions, which recently premiered on Prime Video.
“It’s a peek into a world of privilege and exclusivity that most people don’t get to go into, that everyone wants to see, that everyone wants to be part of,” Goodman says. “I think there’s something missing right now on television that’s just that sexy, funny, privileged world, and we both want to watch it and I think it’s kind of timeless.”
Cruel Intentions showrunners and cast explain how the Prime Video series revives the iconic ‘90s film for a new generation of audiences.
In 1999, Cruel Intentions—the film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair—captivated audiences as a modern retelling of the 18th century French novel Dangerous Liaisons. It’s a story about romance, betrayal, and manipulation that has transcended through centuries of popular culture.
From the novel, to the big screen, and now to streaming TV, Cruel Intentions has evolved across generations and yet remains a story that encapsulates the urges and trappings of humanity.
“We really wanted to make sure that it stayed irreverent and taboo and funny and sexy. All of the things that everybody loved about it. And at the same time we’re making a new piece of content,” Goodman says. “Just like Dangerous Liaisons was before Cruel Intentions, and Cruel Intentions took place in a high school and we take place in college, and it’s an ongoing series where we get to look at the characters in lots of different ways.”
Given the new format of Cruel Intentions as a streaming TV series, the creators had more time to develop their characters beyond the confines of a 97-minute film.
“Being able to interpret these characters that we had in our heads for so long, and then see them get to the screen and see what the actors bring to it and who they become is a really fun thing,” Fisher says.
For the actors themselves, Cruel Intentions has offered some Hollywood newcomers an opportunity to make their introduction in major franchise on one of the world’s biggest streaming platforms.
Zac Burgess, who plays Lucien Belmont, a character similar to Phillippe’s from the original film, wasn’t alive when the movie was released, and still hasn’t actually seen the ‘90s classic.
“I was aware of some of the cult classic references from it because of family and friends,” Burgess says. “One of the wonderful things about this show is it’s another chapter in the story. It’s another pillar within the pantheon that is Cruel Intentions and Dangerous Liaisons. I’m incredibly fortunate to be part of this process and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
Sean Patrick Thomas, on the other hand, was very much familiar with Cruel Intentions, having starred in the 1999 film as the young music teacher Ronald Clifford. He returns to the franchise in the Prime Video series, but as a totally new character.
“It’s a real pleasure and a privilege to come back and dabble in this world again,” Thomas says. “It’s a real point of pride to know that I was a part of something that has this type of staying power—this classic tale that started with the novel in the 1700s. It’s an enduring tale that’s very powerful and kind of salacious and exciting, and it just never fails if it’s done well.”
Cruel Intentions came at the end of a banner year for Prime Video. In September, Amazon MGM Studios won seven Primetime Emmy Awards, including two each for Prime Video’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith and Fallout. At the 2024 Academy Awards, American Fiction, the social satire from director Cord Jefferson and starring Jeffrey Wright, took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film, based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Wright and Sterling K. Brown were nominated for acting categories in lead and supporting roles, respectively. The film also received a nomination for Best Original Score. This past year also marks a first in which brands can reach millions of Prime Video viewers with Streaming TV ads in shows and movies.
And these types of stories seething with drama are exactly what audiences want to sink their teeth into—to escape into a world of passion and intrigue. According to the Elevating Everyday Moments report from Amazon Ads, 71% of consumers agree that entertainment improves their quality time experience and 35% say they seek escapism from their free hours.1
“In times like these,” says Claire Forlani, who plays Claudia Merteuil, “You want escapism. You want fun. You want something to kind of escape into a world that takes you out of your own and is kind of a glorious, yummy. It's like popcorn. It's just delicious or dessert. And I feel like this is like a juicy good dessert.”
Cruel Intentions is available to stream now on Prime Video.
1 Amazon Ads custom research with Crowd DNA. Elevating Everyday Moments: The role of brands in quality time and entertainment. Data reflects AU, BR, CA, DE, ES, FR, IT, JP, MX, UK, and US aggregated. Adults 18-74, total n=17,600. Per country n=1,600. Fielded May to July 2024.