Celebrities and stars took to Hollywood’s backyard to celebrate the premiere of Amazon Prime’s show “Cruel Intentions.” Though it was a cold night, the blue carpet revelers positively glowed with anticipation about the series’ release.
The Prime series is inspired by the 1999 movie of the same name, which in itself is inspired by “Les Liaisons Dangereuses,” a 1782 French novel. On Wednesday Night at the Ebell Theater, the cast and crew talked about how the show explores power dynamics in a university setting.
“I think that college, and doing this in college or in university, is the last bastion of real youth without having those repercussions of being an adult,” said actress Isabella Tagliati, who plays Ella.
“Cruel Intentions” pivots from the cult classic to tease sex, intrigue and scandal in sinister games from two conniving step-siblings. The show stars Sarah Catherine Hook, who plays Caroline Merteuil hoping to enshrine her legacy as the Delta Phi president. Opposite Hook is Zac Burgess as Lucien Belmont, her stepbrother and campus heartthrob.
Aiming to be at the top of the school’s hierarchy, Caroline stops at nothing to cement the presence of her sorority after a hazing incident left the son of a congressman hospitalized and threatens the future of the Greek system. To ensure its preservation, the two seek to seduce the vice president’s daughter, played by Savannah Lee Smith.
Cat and mouse maneuvers rope in other college student characters who also play for and against the social status cards.
“My character fully buys into the fraternity game,” said Zeke Goodman, who plays Brian Blandsman. “There’s a lot of enjoyment from watching people who care about power behaving really badly.”
Goodman is a USC alum, having graduated from the MFA Acting program in the School of Dramatic Arts.
Previously, showrunner Sarah Goodman adapted the 1997 slasher film “I Know What You Did Last Summer” into a series in 2021. Although it was canceled after one season, the show took a similar approach to updating ‘90s media for audiences today. With “Cruel Intentions,” the ‘90s camp of the original is kept intact while stretching how far the characters are willing to go to climb the social ladder.
Unlike the original version’s New York City setting, this iteration is set in Washington, D.C., further making it an adaptation of an adaptation. While in the original movie, Smith’s character was simply affluent, now the character is a member of the second family. The status change leads to clashes between the political world of Washington, D.C., and the petty politics ingrained in college culture.
“We chose the college setting, and fraternities and sororities specifically, because I think there’s such a history and tradition of privilege and wealth, and those things being very important for social capital in the world,” said showrunner Phoebe Fisher.
However, the games that the students play remain in focus, indulging in seduction and sabotage to get their way. For showrunners Goodman and Fisher, writing the college students in any likable light was the least of their concerns.
“The more you try to make these characters likable, overtly, the more people will think they’re fake,” explained Goodman. “So I think you have to make them true to themselves and find their humanity.”
The eight episodes of season one of “Cruel Intentions” will premiere on November 21 on Prime.
