Top Videos Cruel intentions takes the basic design of the 1999 film, based on the 1782 novel, Les Liaisons Dangereusesand expands it to an eight-episode debut season. The series follows the students of Manchester College, a group of lying, scheming, duplicitous and manipulative brats who will one day become America’s future politicians and leaders.
Cruel intentions comes from showrunners Phoebe Fisher and Sara Goodman, who previously held the reins at Prime Video I know what you did last summer restart. Fisher also co-wrote 2023’s delightfully raunchy comedy, Down thereAlthough Goodman is no stranger to scheming youngsters, having written more than a dozen episodes of the classic YA series, gossip Girla series that certainly shares some DNA with Cruel intentions.
TelaRant interviewed Fisher and Goodman about their work on Cruel intentions. They talk about their process of adapting the world and sensibilities of the film (and the various other adaptations of the film). Les Liaisons Dangereuesincluding an often forgotten adaptation, 1989 Valmont) and reveling in the exaggerated depravity of the characters. They also talk about the show’s relationship with politics and how, perhaps, human nature hasn’t changed much between the 18th century and 2024.
Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher on Crafting Cruel New Intentions
“I think we share a sensitivity and love for irreverence and taboo.”
Screen Rant: Hello! I woke up at midnight and watched the entire show.
Sara Goodman: We love you!
Phoebe Fisher: And? What did you think?
Oh my God. If my college experience had been like this, I would never have gotten out or I would have never made it. To start off, tell me, what vibe do you want people to take away from this show?
Phoebe Fisher: Relentless, sexy, fun. That’s the vibration. And the vibration is strong.
Tell me about the “first day” of development and deciding what it would be.
Sara Goodman: I think once Phoebe and I decided we were going to do this, I think we shared a sensitivity and a love of irreverence and taboo. AND…
Phoebe Fisher: Mess.
Sara Goodman: And messy! And having that comedic element. With the twists and turns of drama and manipulation. And have everything very exclusive. And making sure people want to come in when they can’t come in. (Laughter) So I think there were a lot of attractive things about it. Once we decided to set it in the Greek world outside of DC, everything started to fall into place.
Phoebe Fisher: And we kind of took the approach of making the show we want to watch now. So I hope it’s what everyone wants to watch too.
Showrunners Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher on the Political Allegory of Cruel Intentions
“Reputation means everything. And I think we’ve lost track of how deeply ingrained in our society all of this still is.”
If only it weren’t so funny. I don’t know if I would have made it. Because part of me thinks, “All the richest, most powerful kids in the room decide to make the dumbest person in the room president.”
Sara Goodman: (Laughter) And I feel like I don’t know if I can draw any parallels to reality.
Sara and Phoebe: (sarcastically) No!
Sara Goodman: We were way ahead of our time.
Tell me a little about the university version. You have the character of the congressman, who hasn’t evolved any more than his son’s colleagues. He looks exactly like them, except for the gray hair.
Sara Goodman: He’s reliving his youth, right? I mean, that’s not it…
Phoebe Fisher: That’s what Parents’ Weekend is all about!
Sara Goodman: Also in a weird way. That’s what politics is all about: you’re on this side. You are in this club. You are out of this favor. You are the flavor of the month. I mean, they’re all clubs. They’re all jobs. It’s all kinds of subcultures, I guess. And the college, I think, at least has names. There are names for these clubs. They have been around for years and years. And reputation means everything. And I think we’ve lost track of how deeply ingrained in our society all of this still is.
So you can have fun with it. And having characters play characters who are also funny and cowardly, who break boundaries and think that the rules don’t apply to them… I mean, that’s the world we live in. Right?
How The Cruel Intentions showrunners rebooted the story for 2024
“We want to pay homage and not alienate fans of the film because we are fans of the film.”
Can you tell me a little bit about making that break from the movies, not wanting to be beholden to your tone and characterization and wanting to do your own thing from the beginning?
Phoebe Fisher: Yeah, I think we’re big fans of the Dangerous Liaisons and Cruel Intentions source material. I like to add Valmont too. I think, yes, it was important for us to make this its own world and its own new chapter. And we had a lot of fun doing it.
Sara Goodman: Yes. And I think, at the time, the movie broke barriers and was really fun, and we got all the vibes and a lot of little Easter eggs that we wanted and we want to honor and not alienate fans of the movie because we are fans of the movie. . But we also felt like it was time, just like Cruel Intentions was time for a remake of Dangerous Liaisons, it was time for a remake.
Phoebe Fisher: Cruelty is timeless.
Sara Goodman and Phoebe Fisher: On TV.
More About Cruel Intentions Season 1
Cruel Intentions follows the elite students at Manchester College, a university adjacent to Washington, D.C., where reputation means everything, fraternities and sororities are the gold standard, and two ruthless half-siblings, Caroline Merteuil and Lucien Belmont, will do anything to stay . top of the cruel social hierarchy. After a brutal hazing incident threatens the entire Greek system of life, they will do whatever it takes to preserve their power and reputation – even if it 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 the modern royal court that is Manchester College.
Check out our others Cruel intentions interviews here:
Source: Screen Rant Plus