Sean Patrick Thomas Reprises His Role in Cruel Intentions Reboot

A familiar face from the 1999 movie Cruel Intentions will join the new cast of Amazon’s reboot series. 

The film, inspired by the 18th-century French novel Dangerous Liaisons, follows two wicked stepsiblings (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe) who plot to ruin the innocent daughter (Reese Witherspoon) of their school’s headmaster. The reboot, which will stream on Amazon’s Freevee (formerly IMDb TV), got a green light for eight episodes in April 2021.

Variety has unveiled the stars of Amazon’s Cruel Intentions reboot, which features a familiar face from the 1999 movie. 

Sean Patrick Thomas, who played Ronald, the music teacher who fell for Selma Blair’s character, will return as a new character named Professor Chadwick. The reboot also stars Sarah Catherine Hook, Zac Burgess, Brooke Lena Johnson, Sara Silva, John Harlan Kim, and Myra Molloy.

The original Cruel Intentions started as an indie film, but Columbia Pictures picked it up and turned it into a hit. The 1999 film became a cult favorite with its star-studded cast and its fresh take on a classic tale. It also inspired two sequels and a musical. 

However, the new TV reboot series won’t be a copy of the original film or a revival of NBC’s failed attempt to make a sequel series. 

Instead of a high school in New York City, the drama unfolds at a prestigious college in Washington D.C., where a vicious hazing ritual jeopardizes “the entire Panhellenic system.”

The new stepsiblings at the heart of the show are not afraid to use their charm and cunning to stay on top of the social ladder, even if it means seducing the Vice President’s daughter. 

One of the movie’s original stars, Thomas, returns as a college professor who will witness and maybe participate in the scandals and schemes that rock the campus. 

Freevee picked up the show in April, but it might switch to Prime Video later. It will start shooting in Toronto this month and is expected to premiere in 2024. Can the reboot match the success of the original? Only time will tell, but having Thomas on board is a good sign.

About Cruel Intentions

Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American teen romantic drama film written and directed by Roger Kumble and starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair.

The film is a modern retelling of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, set in New York City among rich high schoolers.

Initially a smaller-budget independent film, it was picked up by Columbia Pictures and widely released on March 5, 1999. Despite mixed critical reviews, the performances of Gellar, Philippe, and Witherspoon were praised, and Cruel Intentions has since grossed $76 million worldwide. The box office success spawned a prequel in 2000 and a sequel in 2004, as well as a jukebox musical in 2015.