Amazon Prime’s latest TV adaptation of the classic nineties thriller, Cruel Intentions, is now ready for streaming. However, even the most observant viewers might overlook a subtle reference to the series’ original inspiration.
The initial film, released in 1999, played a significant role in catapulting Reese Witherspoon’s career. She starred alongside Ryan Phillipe and Sarah Michelle Gellar who played two scheming step-siblings at a prestigious school, vying for dominance over their classmates. The story was an adaptation of the 18th Century novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
The new Prime series offers a fresh perspective on the narrative, introducing a range of new characters that audiences will love to hate. As per the official synopsis of the show: “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.”
While the TV series features new characters, there’s a very clever nod to the original film’s cast hidden in plain sight, which many viewers may overlook, reports the Mirror.
The cunning step-siblings central to the series are named Caroline Merteuil and Lucien Belmont. In contrast, in the original film, they were known as Kathryn Merteuil and Sebastian Valmont. Upon closer inspection, the character names bear striking similarities. Both Sarah Catherine Hook and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s characters even share the same surname.
Selma Blair’s film character Cecile Caldwell also gets a mention in the series through her equivalent Celeste ‘CeCe’ Carroway, played by Sara Silva.
The trend continues with the series’ lead character Annie Grover, brought to life by Savannah Lee Smith. Her counterpart in the film was Reese Witherspoon’s Annette Hargrove, with the names once again closely linked. Other nods to the original include the character Blaise Powell, who is based on Blaine Tuttle from the original film.
The Cruel Intentions series is now streaming on Amazon Prime