The new Prime Video series,Cruel Intentions, takes the basic outline of the1999 film of the same name(and the true source material, the 1782 French novel,Les Liaisons Dangereuses) and expands it to an eight episode story, with plenty of room for future seasons to tell even more tales of depravity, sexual manipulation, gaslighting, and all of the other devilishly fun things that are strictly off-limits in real life.
Cruel Intentionsis set at Manchester College, a place that turns young aristocrats into politicians. In a school full of deliciously irredeemable personalities, two characters stand out: Beatrice and Annie, played by Brooke Lena Johnson and Savannah Lee Smith, respectively. Beatrice is an activist railing against the old-fashioned and, in her opinion, outdated “Greek system” of frat and sorority houses. Meanwhile, Annie is the Vice President’s daughter, a sheltered young woman who gets more than she bargained for when she finds herself pulled in all directions by people seeking her friendship for the potential political power she represents.
Cruel Intentions Trailer Reveals Sarah Michelle Gellar & Reese Witherspoon Replacements In Remake Series
The Cruel Intentions trailer reveals Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon’s replacements in the remake series coming to Prime Video.
ScreenRantinterviewed Brooke Lena Johnson and Savannah Lee Smith abouttheir work onCruel Intentions. They discussed their characters and how they are the ostensible “good girls” of the series, even if they might have their own secrets and ulterior motives. They also spoke about how their characters might potentially evolve in future seasons of the series. Finally, Savannah Lee Smith explored how her character here contrasts with her malicious turn in HBO Max’sGossip Girlrevival.
Savannah Lee Smith Compares Her Cruel Intentions Role To Her Gossip Girl Character
“it’s really nice to be able to play the opposite of her.”
Screen Rant: You are the the good girls, at least by the standards of this show.
Savannah Lee Smith: Yes.
Brooke Lena Johnson: Fair enough. Fair play.
Which must be nice for you in particular, Savannah, after having played the not-so-nice girl in Gossip Girl. Was this a breath of fresh air or do you miss it?
Savannah Lee Smith: That’s funny. It’s a breath of fresh air! You know, I think one of the best parts of doing what we do is being able to do different things and play different characters and lean into different personalities and perspectives and all of those things. I loved playing Monet. It was just the most fun. But yeah, of course, it’s, it’s really nice to be able to play the opposite of her.
It’s nice because also, I can relate to Annie. I relate to Annie in a lot more ways than I can relate to Monet. So yeah, I can call back to my experiences in college and feeling the same way Annie does in the beginning, at least, of the series, you know, where she’s kind of trying to find her place. I think that’s something that most of us have experienced. Definitely a breath of fresh air. Yeah.
Cruel Intentions Stars Complete Each Other’s Sentences
“Beatrice and Annie have a really dynamic, complicated friendship.”
I’m really excited as to where your characters can go. Because while a lot of the characters start out, you know, horrific and depraved in their own immensely watchable ways, I feel like your characters start very much in a place where they are relatable to the viewer until their colors come out. And we kind of learn a little bit more about them. Can you tell me a little bit about trying to keep that buttoned up while still planting seeds for the future?
Brooke Lena Johnson: That’s a fun question. I definitely feel like Beatrice, you know, like what you’re saying with the perspective of it, I think anyone who’s kind of been an outsider before really relates to that. And I really think she is very strong in what she thinks and what she believes. And yet she still has a lot of this vulnerability because she has been burned in the past by these people. You ride the fine line of what’s morally right of, is it revenge? Is it that you truly believe in this? And I do think she truly believes in it. Otherwise, she wouldn’t fight so hard and go through all this chaos. Just…
Savannah Lee Smith: Sacrifice.
Brooke Lena Johnson: Yeah, exactly. She sacrifices her reputation. It’s on the line, all of this. I think what’s fun about it is, you can kind of plant these seeds within it of you see these different dynamics in these characters. You get to see that she has been hurt, but how does she pick up and move on from that? And how do these characters overcome these obstacles and deal with their relationships kind of getting separated?
Annie and I have a relationship at the beginning and it kind of separates and then it comes back together. And I think you kind of get to see that. And I think that’s really relatable as an audience member, watching this show. And I think you can plant those seeds and I think audiences will love it because you get to dive in and peek into that window and watch all of the scandal and taboo and all of this without having to deal with the repercussions of it. We’ll deal with those for you!
Savannah Lee Smith: Exactly. Yeah, I think Beatrice and Annie have a really dynamic, complicated…
Brooke Lena Johnson: Friendship.
Savannah Lee Smith: Friendship. And I mean, I know when I was, you know, in high school and college, all of my friendships felt the most complicated they could… You know. I think that’s relatable, too. But yeah, I think, you know, Annie’s dealing with moving away from her reputation and forming one of her own or just doing away with it completely. And Beatrice is, you know, yeah, putting hers on the line and trying to figure out, you know, how much she’s willing to sacrifice and how much she’s willing to take and how much she’s willing to throw at other people. So that kind of brings them together in a way that they’re…
Very well said. And you did return the headband.
Savannah Lee Smith: Hey, I did.
Brooke Lena Johnson: You did. I don’t know if I fully forgive you for that… Sure. Well, thank you so much for you for that.
More About Cruel Intentions Season 1
Cruel Intentions 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 and Lucien Belmont, 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, 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.
Check out our otherCruel Intentionsinterviews here:
All episodes ofCruel Intentionsseason 1 are now streaming on Prime Video.
Cruel Intentions
Cast
Two ambitious step-siblings at a prestigious Washington, D.C. college will stop at nothing to keep their social standing. After a hazing scandal threatens their control, they resort to extreme tactics, including seducing the vice president’s daughter, to safeguard their reputation and influence.
