Some people say “you can never go back,” but Sarah Michelle Gellar is returning to one of her more memorable roles (no, not Buffy). The 38-year-old actress, whom we haven’t seen much of since her series The Crazy Ones was cancelled, has signed on to reprise her role as the wicked and cunning Kathryn Merteuil on NBC’s upcoming reboot of the 1999 movie Cruel Intentions.
When the network announced the show back in December, it was mentioned that Sarah’s character would play a part in the series, but now the actress is officially on board. She used #tbt to post a “then and now” photo on Instagram with Cruel director Roger Kumble and executive producer Neal Moritz. The caption read in part, “#kathrynmerteuil is back!!! I am happy to say that I will be joining them (and @nbctv) on the new #Crueltv.” Side note: Sarah sure has aged well, she looks great.
Sarah continued her trip down memory lane by posting a picture of the original cast – including Reese Witherspon, Ryan Phillippe and Selma Blair – at the film’s kick-off dinner back in 1998 (when it was called Cruel Inventions).
Deadline Hollywood reports that in the new series, Kathryn is now married to the wealthy Pascal Barrett. Her life is shaken up when the son of her stepbrother, Sebastian, and Annette Hargrove Casey reappear. Does this mean that the next casting announcement involves Reese returning to play Annette?
Sarah is excited about the reboot, telling US Weekly, “I think it’s awesome. I think there are so many great stories to tell. Jordan [Ross] and Lindsey [Rosin] did a great job with the Cruel Intentions musical — it was phenomenal. Roger Kumble [who wrote and directed the film] is at the helm, and anything Roger does is great. And they are great characters, so why shouldn’t their story be told?”
Now that Sarah’s on board, does this make a Cruel Intentions reboot more eagerly anticipated? I must admit I may have to check it out. It could be deliciously soapy, and I’m hoping they could inject some snark from the musical version into the new series (or, they could go Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and sporadically break into musical numbers – that I would totally watch!)
Photo credit: Getty Images, WENN.com
Yes! Yes! Yes!
No! To the breaking into musical numbers for no reason at all, I don’t want to think of Glee when watching Cruel Intentions.
YES!!! Awesome! NOW I will watch!
LOVE Sarah Michelle, so so much.
So Annette was preggo at the end of the film then?
Because Sebastian died!
Unless she creepily extracted his goods after he died…
That’s what I was thinking about as well. So Annette was a teenage mother. A wealthy one sure, but a teenage mother.
And pregnant when she started the school year at a new school where her dad was the headmaster. Plus that whole ‘chastity’ article…..
SCANDAL!
I think this project is going to flop so hard. Cruel Intentions is a bad movie that is only remembered because people were shocked to hear “Buffy” be a bad girl and say the F-word and engage in a gratuitous faux lesbian kissing scene.
Television is in a great place and I could easily see Witherspoon doing a television series that actually has quality people involved like Amy Adams is but to rehash a role in an old bad cult-teen movie from her youth? I doubt it. SMG has to do something like this, Witherspoon doesn’t.
You are incorrect, it is not a bad film.
Good grief, it’s not correct or incorrect, it’s her opinion.
It’s a great film! I rewatched last weekend.
Cruel Intentions is a dumbed-down teen version/modern retelling of Dangerous Liaisons, a superior 1988 film nominated for 7 Academy Awards (won 3), and which starred Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, and a badly miscast Keanu Reeves.
Dangerous Liaisons was set in the late 18th century and was based on a play. The play itself was adapted from the 1782 French novel “Les Liaisons dangereuses” by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.
Seems to me not many people are aware of this.
To praise an inferior remake like Cruel Intentions is akin to praising Clueless, which — entertaining as it also was — was a dumbed-down teen version/modern retelling of Jane Austen’s “Emma”.
Plenty of people know that, certainly I’d say the large majority of people around here. Doesn’t mean they can’t enjoy the film for what it was.
My opinion is that it was an entertaining teen movie, but not great, not in the same league as the original 1988 film. Nowhere did I say that people shouldn’t enjoy CI. I just disagreed with the praise. And both you and I cannot be entirely assured that the majority of commenters here are either familiar or unfamiliar with the background info I mentioned. There’s not enough evidence to point in either direction, which is why I wrote “seems” and not “certainly”.
Cruel Intensions the first time around had me. It was great. But….what is there a shortage of writers in Hollywood. I can’t handle reunion shows, who cares what happened to Uncle Joey. He’s not real! Write some new epic television or Hollywood get busy on the movies, not the remakes please. I can just picture some modelesque type of Italian kid saying yes I am Michael Corleone. Everyone is so fixated on zombies and comic book characters, ah forget it.
I like her a lot but it would be better to see her in something new instead of her revisiting old roles. Aged well? She looks great but she’s only 38, a bit premature to bring up aging.
I love her so much!! I even liked her in that twins tv show. That was a doozy.
Absolutely. I think most people attracted this show would be hoping to see some of the movie’s stars, and she’s the best bet. It’s not a bad career move for her, either. She’s looking for a steady show to be on, and while she’s had a couple of misses, I think TV audiences still have a lot of goodwill toward her.
I’m more likely to watch with her in it, I like her and generally always check out her new shows. She hasn’t had much success post Buffy, maybe this one will stick for a while.
She was the consummate Kathryn! That role was the 1st time I feel she showed her chops. She really is a beautiful woman but on a snarky note what the hell!? with that drop waisted dress?