Warning: Major spoilers ahead for the season finale of the Cruel Intentions series, out now on Prime Video.
In 1999, Cruel Intentions premiered in theaters, catapulting its young cast of 20-something stars — Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Selma Blair and Joshua Jackson — into the pop cultural zeitgeist. A modern-day adaptation of the classic 18th-century novel Les liaisons dangereuses, the romantic drama told the story of wealthy New York City high schoolers who find themselves embroiled in a seductive game of love, lust, and manipulation.
Now, more than 25 years later, a new series adaptation of Cruel Intentions has arrived on Prime Video with a brand new cast and creative team — all of whom understand the skepticism of fans who have formed their own sentimental connection with the cult classic film.
Sarah Catherine Hook, who assumes Gellar’s role as the conniving queen bee, knows there is no point in trying to remake Cruel Intentions, a film that she considers a key part of her coming-of-age. “I’m such a major fan of both Dangerous Liaisons and the original Cruel Intentions film,” she tells Teen Vogue. “I think I probably did take a lot of inspiration from both Glenn Close and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s performances, but mostly just them roaming around in my brain — not trying to do anything that they do, but paying homage to their brilliance and just stepping into this new world and hopefully complementing what they have already done.”
Created by Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher, the new series follows the elite students of Manchester College, a Washington, D.C.-adjacent university, where step-siblings Caroline Merteuil (Hook) and Lucien Belmont (Zac Burgess) will stop at nothing to maintain their position atop the social hierarchy of sororities and fraternities — including seducing Annie Grover (Savannah Lee Smith), the daughter of the U.S. vice president.
“Everyone’s going to have their opinion regardless if it was a remake or an original. Everyone’s just going to feel differently about it,” Smith says. “I wouldn’t say I’m too concerned [about the backlash] because I think once people watch it, they’ll really start to realize that it’s not a remake; it’s not a reboot. It’s really a new chapter in reimagining. Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher did a wonderful job of striking the balance between, how much do we pay homage to the film and the book and play, and then how much newness do we include?”
On a recent video call from Los Angeles, Hook and Smith unpack the twists and turns of the first season and reflect on the impact of their prematurely canceled last shows, First Kill and Gossip Girl.
Sarah Catherine Hook: I think from the beginning, Caroline used Annie as just a goal, something she’s trying to achieve, but then she gets to know her. I remember in episode 5 when Annie does that nice thing [and invites Caroline’s family to the Christmas tree lighting at the White House] that Caroline truly did not see coming. It was a moment of Caroline being like, “Oh my God, you know what? I didn’t expect to like her this much and to be impressed by her.” I think it was just a touching moment of love, and that’s something that Caroline doesn’t always experience.
Savannah Lee Smith: Caroline is seen.
SCH: Yeah, exactly. Even though right before that, Caroline manipulated Annie in the bathroom, and then she’s like, “Ugh.” So then, you’re like, “Oh, does Caroline have any little bit of remorse?” I don’t know! But certainly, I think Caroline ends up really liking Annie, and probably feels a little threatened by her a bit. Well, not a little bit, because she’s stealing Lucien’s heart, so that makes things complicated. But it’s like the “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer” deal, obviously. But I do think she has a soft spot for her.
SLS: I do too. Because I think in that moment in episode five where Annie’s like, "Mom, why don’t we invite the whole family?," that was a shift because Caroline has only been seen one way and presents herself one way. “I’m the boss. This is how I act, and this is how you treat me.” But in that moment, I think Annie sees her for what lives underneath all of that—
SCH: And maybe has empathy for her.
SLS: Because [Annie] knows what it’s like to have things expected of her all the time, and specifically by her parents. So, I think that’s something that they can relate to each other on. And with Lucien, too, Annie is able to see the things that are going on underneath the funny banter and the ego. I think that’s why Lucien is drawn to her. So I think Annie has a way of noticing what’s going on between a lot of different characters, and she’s able to use it. [To Hook] I think you’re right — Caroline ends up actually being interested in her for more than just being a goal.
SCH: And because Caroline is showing her attention, Annie probably is like, “Oh, she’s almost like a big sister, or a mentor. I need to do what she says.” This is how CeCe [Sara Silva] came to be CeCe.
SCH: Oh my God.
SLS: Lots of things were going through Annie’s mind. She was freaking out.
SCH: But it was so funny, too, because I swear to God in the script, it was just a peck.
SLS: Literally just a peck.
SCH: They threw us a curveball two nights before we were going to film that, and they were like, “So we want the kiss to be this…” And then they sent us the clip.
SLS: They showed us the scene from the [original Cruel Intentions] movie —
SCH: And we’re like, “Whoa, hold on!”
SLS: “That’s not a peck!”
SCH: “You can’t tell us that’s a peck!” So, I think it was shocking for all four of us — Savannah and Sarah Catherine, and Caroline and Annie. [Laughs.] I don’t think anyone expected that to happen.
SLS: That’s one of the parts of our show, I think, that is extremely similar. It’s an infamous scene, so they were like, “Let’s pay homage that way." It’s a good place to do it.
But I think what was going through Annie’s mind was like, “What’s happening? Why is Caroline kissing me?” [Laughs.] And then after that, I think she started to feel seen for who she is. In any other instance, she’s always been used; she’s always been put on a stage and told what to do — being the vice president’s daughter, of course. But this night at Heaven, Caroline really listens to what she has to say for real and I think just makes her feel safe. And then after, I think she probably realized, “Oh, I just had my first kiss with someone who sees me.”
SCH: It’s funny because from Caroline’s perspective, I think that it’s bordering [on] two things. I do feel like the soft spot for Annie is real, so it’s almost like, “I’m going to do you a favor,” but then of course, this is still all about power and keeping and maintaining power over this person. It’s almost like, “I just gave you your first kiss. You’re mine now.” I’m sure in her head, [because] [Annie] and Lucien haven’t kissed, it’s like, “I’m taking that away from him, too.” And I’m trying not to judge Caroline! That’s all I’m going to say.
SCH: I know in the more emotional beats, that’s where you think something might happen, and that’s where you see, “Oh, there might be real love between these two, not just this sexual craving for one another that they’ve been holding back for years and years.” There is a love that really runs deep between the two of them. It’s just a little bit messy because of their backstory, their parents and the trauma around all of that.
But you know what? I actually really love how specific Caroline’s relationship is with everyone else — and then with Lucien. Because she really is consistently this cougar lioness type of person with truly everyone, and then Lucien comes in, even in the first episode, and he kind of tickles her a little bit. She likes the fact that he’s this reckless, little, untrained puppy dog. Of course, they’ve known each other since they were 13 years old — at least that’s kind of what came up in my mind. That was probably when they became step siblings. There’s just a comfort and a familiarity there. So, naturally, you’re going to be a little bit looser with those people.
As far as the sexier, sexier stuff goes, Zac and I worked together a lot with an intimacy coordinator and just did a lot of breath work truthfully, and just very light, delicate brushes against each other. It was nothing gratuitous, nothing too all the way, but just playing with sensations in general and what that triggers in us — all of these beats for ourselves as actors that might get us excited in the moment. That was really fun to explore and obviously very intimidating, but we knew what we signed up for. We were ready to go.
SCH: I wonder if this is something that’s been brewing in her head for a long time. She’s like, “If Lucien ever gets in my way, I have so much that could just destroy him." And I don’t think this was a new thought because she’s always 10 steps ahead of everyone else. Everything she does has … cruel intentions. [Laughs.]
I think she knew exactly what she was doing and what kind of disaster would unfold after. She will step on anyone’s spine to get ahead. It doesn’t matter who it is that she’s going to destroy. I also think, with Lucien, she thinks, “No matter what I do to this boy, he’s my family forever, so he will come back to me.” I think she really thinks that even though, honestly, it’s probably not true because this is not unconditional love. They’re not blood-related. So, this could ruin their relationship forever. Maybe she’s willing to risk that — I doubt it though, because I think she only wants him for herself. She’s like, “No one will be able to love him after this. And that way, I know I am the only person who is ever going to be able to take him in and have him.”
The betrayal [of CeCe] is really dark and heartbreaking. I love the relationship between Caroline and CeCe so much, but that is Caroline’s game. I’m sure CeCe does know her very well, and I’m sure this is not the first time she’s done something very wrong and manipulative. I’m sure maybe there was another sorority girl that she did this to. CeCe is smart. She knows what she’s capable of, and I think ultimately, Caroline’s just trying to teach her a lesson, which is obviously not kind. And by the way, since this is all going to be in print: I’ve never condoning any of this behavior! [Laughs.]
SLS: I think that Annie throughout the entire series — and specifically to speak to what you’re bringing up with Caroline stealing CeCe’s story — that moment has happened for Annie multiple times in different intensities. So, this [last reveal] was a big one where she was like, “This is cut and dry. I could see that this is a stolen story. What is going on?" I think that the cool cliffhanger that we end on in the last episode is Annie has all these little things that she’s been noticing and putting together, and she hasn’t really investigated or used them or expressed a lot of them yet. So, by the end, when she ultimately decides to accept the invitation and join the sorority, you’re wondering what happened in between [those two scenes]. What is she going to do with all these things that she has been smart enough to clock this entire season?
SCH: [To Smith] Wasn’t your character also queer in Gossip Girl?
SLS: Yeah.
SCH: How crazy is that? I love this connection between me and Savannah because we played queer characters, and she was the bad girl and I was the little, unassuming sweet one. We’ve talked about this too — how people usually see Savannah and there’s so much strength, and it was so cool for people to see [her] soft here. And with me, I’m always seen as soft, and being seen as someone with strength is really cool.
But the queer community — I would die for them, and I’m so thankful to them. The show would not have been anything without them, and I owe everything to them. Honestly, I wanted a Season 2 for them alone.
SLS: We wanted to make [more] Gossip Girl for them too. Just the messages that I would get and the responses we would get — I mean, people were telling me that it gave them confidence to come out to their parents, and I’m like, “Oh my goodness.”
SCH: That’s the power of television and entertainment.
SLS: Yeah, we would’ve loved to have a Season 3, but I think it ended on a note that was at least easy to accept. But with [Cruel Intentions], I hope that we see Annie put the pieces together.
SLS: Oh, Monet definitely figured out that it was always supposed to be her the entire time. And she completely cut off Julien and went on her own journey to be the influencer girlie. I’ve thought about that a lot — way more than I care to admit.
SCH: My character, Juliette, was left distraught and heartbroken at the end, and everyone was commenting, like, “Oh, Juliette’s baddie era is coming.” And what I think is so fun is that now I’m in a different role, and I am fulfilling that prophecy for her. So this is for Juliette. For the First Kill fans, hopefully, you’ll see the baddie Juliette that you were dying for.
All eight episodes of Cruel Intentions are now streaming on Prime Video.
