Cruel Intentions The Show Made 6 Huge Changes From The OG Movie
Would Kathryn and Sebastian really be this invested in Greek life?
Pretty much the only thing Prime Video’s 2024 adaptation of Cruel Intentions didn’t change from the 1999 erotic drama is its title. Yes, the new series is also called Cruel Intentions, but almost everything else about it is totally different, from the setting to the characters. Sure, there are a few glimmers of similarity here and there, but it seems clear the show wanted to expand the original story in several new ways. And some of these changes are way bigger than others.
In just the first few minutes of the 2024 Cruel Intentions, it’s immediately clear this isn’t the same sexual cat-and-mouse game the hit ‘90s movie was playing. Fans will immediately be able to tell which characters inspired each other, although all the names are slightly changed in this new iteration — and a few have had total personality makeovers. The college setting also provides some of the biggest plot changes. The original movie largely took place outside of school, whereas the TV series leans all the way into professors, school events, and most importantly, Greek life.
This isn’t the Cruel Intentions you’re used to. And since there are too many changes to list them all, below are the most majorly impactful ones.
1. A Move Down The Coast Adds A Political Spin
The original Cruel Intentions was set in New York City, but the new series made the choice to relocate to Washington, D.C. It may not seem like a huge deal initially, but the setting change adds a whole new political level that wasn’t present in the movie. A few main characters have important government connections, most notably Annie (based on Annette) is now the Vice President’s daughter rather then just the headmaster’s child, and Scott (an expanded version of the movie’s closeted jock Greg) is the son of a senator.
This time around, the manipulations aren’t just for sex and money — political power is an added end goal for several plot lines.
2. Greek Life Forces New Connections & Relationships
Kathryn and Sebastian schemed out their seductive games for nothing more than the (im)pure love of manipulation, but for the new show’s Caroline and Lucien, the aim is to attain power within their school’s sororities and fraternities. Lucien’s frat brothers have wholly different relationships with him than Sebastian’s male friends, creating a much more complex relationship with Blaise (based on the more happy-go-lucky Blaine in the original) and Rourke (based on the barely-seen Court from the movie).
The sorority setting also highlights one of the characters who is most changed personality-wise in this TV version.
3. Cecile’s Personality Is Entirely Changed As CeCe
Without a doubt, the largest character change is CeCe, who’s based on Selma Blair’s character Cecile in 1999’s movie. In the film, Cecile is a naive new girl whom Kathryn corrupts as vengeance for her dating her ex. However, the new show reimagines CeCe as a high-strung, type-A sidekick to Caroline. She still shares the original character’s compulsion to do whatever Caroline says, but all of the child-like dopiness that was played up in Cecile is not present here.
4. Blaine Also Gets A New Personality As Blaise
Even though Blaine was played by ‘90s heartthrob Joshua Jackson in the original Cruel Intentions, he didn’t really get much to do. In the movie, Blaine is Sebastian’s openly gay friend who helps him blackmail closeted jock Greg into talking Sebastian up to his friend Annette. He’s happy to help his buddy, and then kind of just disappears.
However, his expanded role as Blaise has much more depth. Now, Blaise is just as calculated as the central step-siblings, manipulating the powerfully connected Scott into landing a government job. His dealings with Lucien are much more quid pro quo than Blaine and Sebastian’s were.
5. Parents Actually Play A Big Role
Kathryn and Sebastian’s parents are only mentioned a few times in Cruel Intentions, but remain totally absent, letting the twisted teens run the whole show. That’s changed in the new series. Caroline’s mother plays an important role in the plot, and adds an unexpectedly empathetic layer to the character that is decidedly not present in the movie.
Scott’s parents are also important figures in the show. They didn’t exist in the movie, given that Greg (the character Scott is based on) was a much smaller role.
6. Beatrice Is A Completely New Character
There aren’t many main characters in the show that aren’t obviously based on someone from the movie, but Beatrice Worth is perhaps the most glaring exception. A hyper-liberal student who was childhood friends with Annie, Beatrice is a sworn enemy to both Lucien and Caroline due to 1) Lucien dumping her right after sleeping with her, and 2) her disgust for the sorority system, which is of course headed by Caroline.
Beatrice has bits of some different characters from the movie — like Annette’s mother, she is the primary force warning Annie not to trust Lucien, and like Greg, she’s an old friend of Annie’s who reconnects with her. But for the most part, this is a completely new character in the story.
